Batuka was the fifth track from Madonna’s fourteenth studio album titled Madame X released on June 14, 2019. “It’s a long way (It’s a long way), It’s a long way (It’s a long way), It’s a long day (It’s a long day), It’s a long day (It’s a long day)”
Speaking of fate, a few weeks earlier on May 30, 2023, I received the following results for a Y-DNA test that a newly discovered family member on Ancestry.com purchased for me at ©FamilyTreeDNA.com. This family member reached out to me via the Internet.
Y-DNA matches reveal a common ancestor on the direct paternal line, showing common ancestors that can be recent (meaning within a generation or two) or more distant (living up to around 1,000 years ago). The tools and data gained through a Y-DNA test help us learn more about patrilineal family history.
While most people had hundreds of matches in their results, I only had two.
I was completely mystified when I noticed that Morocco was listed as a Paternal Country of Origin and so on July 9, 2023, I reached out to Mr. Mustapha.
I very quickly learned that my birth father and I were possibly related to Moroccans who came to the shores of South Carolina in the 1700s as indentured servants. According to the results of my Y-DNA test the genetic distance was very recent, as recent as 1650 or 1700 so these people were potentially my ancestors.
The prayers and ceremonies that I performed during In Search Of Christ to learn more about my ancestors continued to bring new information years later.
Now I needed to figure out if these particular ancestors were Muslims from the Black Berber tribes of Africa, African Jews that studied Practical Kabbalah in the High Atlas Range of Morocco, or Turkish people that settled in Sumter County, South Carolina. The additional research would require an upgrade to the Big Y-700 test, but that upgrade cost $450 and at the time I didn’t have any extra cash to put towards this.
I had to put this off for the time being because my main focus as of July 2023 was saving enough money to move back to North Carolina. Due to the fact that Madonna had postponed her Celebrations Tour because of a serious illness that took place on June 24, 2023, I no longer had to focus on trying to get tickets for that show and I was relieved to discover that Madonna was okay.
I continued to move through this next life transition very organically. No rush. No haste. I did my best to remain flexible and adaptable. I was hoping for the best but always remained open to unexpected change.
And as far as my mysterious Madonna connection went, well, Madonna celebrated her 60th birthday in Morocco five years earlier back in August 2018, just a few months after I received my first DNA test from ©Ancestry.com.
Was this yet another coincidence?
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It’s a long way (It’s a long way)
It’s a long way (It’s a long way)
It’s a long day (It’s a long day)
It’s a long day (It’s a long day)
Lord have Mercy (Lord have Mercy)
Things have got to change (Things have got to change)
There’s a storm ahead (There’s a storm ahead)
I hear the wind blowing (I hear the wind blowing)
Let me catch my breath (Let me catch my breath)
Will we win this race? (Will we win this race?)
Swear the road is long (Swear the road is long)
And the highway listens (And the highway listens)
‘Cause it’s a long way (‘Cause it’s a long way)
It’s a long way (It’s a long way)
‘Cause it’s a long day (‘Cause it’s a long day)
It’s a long day (It’s a long day)
I was up all night
I said a little prayer
Get that old man
Put him in a jail
Where he can’t stop us (Where he can’t stop us)
Where he can’t hurt us (Where he can’t hurt us)
We will stand tall (We will stand tall)
Underneath this tree (Underneath this tree)
‘Cause it’s a…
‘Cause it’s a long way (‘Cause it’s a long way)
It’s a long way (It’s a long way)
‘Cause it’s a long day (‘Cause it’s a long day)
It’s a long day (It’s a long day)
But when we can stop it all (But when we can stop it all)
In the right way (In the right way)
We will stand together (We will stand together)
It’s a new day (It is a new day)
So don’t judge a human (Don’t judge a human)
Till you’re in their shoes (Till you’re in their shoes)
‘Cause when we have a dream (‘Cause when we have a dream)
And you can’t stop us
Sing, “hallelujah” (Sing, “hallelujah”)
Say, “amen” (Say, “amen”)
Say, “hallelujah” (Say, “hallelujah”)
And say, “amen” (And say, “amen”)
I say, “oh, yeah” (I say, “oh, yeah”)
I said, “oh, yeah” (I said, “oh, yeah”)
I said, “amen” (I said, “amen”)
I say, “hallelujah” (I say, “hallelujah”)
‘Cause it’s a long way (‘Cause it’s a long way)
It’s a long way (It’s a long way)
‘Cause it’s a long day (‘Cause it’s a long day)
It’s a long day (It’s a long day)