“Mami Wata” is West African pidgin English literally meaning ‘Mama Water’… ‘Mother Ocean’ if you prefer. From Madagascar to Morocco, Liberia to Mozambique, Mami Wata is the African water spirit who appears in the shape of a mermaid. It is said that those who she takes for her lovers, return with a new spirit and become more successful and good looking. She is a symbol of fertility, a protector of women and children, a guardian of sea creatures and natural environments.
