MIDDLEBURY — The Voncujovi brothers — Sena, a junior at Middlebury College, and Pele, a freshman — use a variety of tools to spread their message about the West African religion known as voodoo or vodu.
Social media is a big one, they said. The two have their own Instagram account dedicated specifically to vodu. Their father’s temple in Ghana has its own Facebook page. They frequently post videos and photos of their ceremonies on Snapchat, complete with written explanations of what they’re doing and why.
Beyond social media, the two have tried to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at the college. Last summer in their native Ghana, they collaborated with Middlebury College Visiting Assistant Professor of Studio Art Gigi Gatewood to produce a documentary and photo exhibit about vodu entitled “ReVodution.” They also have set up an official internship program, which allows college students to spend the summer learning about traditional African spiritual practices through assisting at their father’s temple.
This Saturday, Sena and Pele Voncujovi will speak at the college’s Amka Conference, an event dedicated to “awakening the Middlebury community’s attention regarding issues relevant to Africa.”
Following an abridged screening of their film, the brothers and their documentary team will be speaking as part of a panel discussion at from 2-3 p.m. in McCardell Bicentennial Hall. Afterwards, they will take questions at their photo exhibit, which will be moved to the hall specifically for the event.
To keep up with the voodoo boys, you can follow them on Instagram at “vocujovibrothers,” on Facebook at “Afrika Magick Temple” or on Snapchat as “sena-voncujovi.”