Candomble Pictures, History and Brazil

There are African priests who travel to Brazil to learn about their own religion. This is an extraordinary example of cultural survival and the development of traditions which were thought to have been killed by the slave trade.

Yorubas, Dahomeyans, Ashantis, Bantus have all contributed to Afro - Brazilian religion and have introduced different rituals.

However, the cult known as Jeje-Nago was the main influence from the nineteenth century onwards.

A similar phenomenon occurred in the Caribbean, with Voodoo in Haiti and Santeria in Cuba.

Devotees from three areas - The Brazilian coastal regions, the Caribbean and East Africa - have many sacred rites in common, and there is still considerable scope for further development of their relationship.

A never ending party

Candomble pictures, history and Brazil

The most famous are those of the Procession of the Navigators (31st December to 1st January), when hundreds of vessels follow the boat with the Master of Navigators, in the bay of All Saints;

the washing of the steps of the Church of Bonfim by the people of Bahia in traditional costumes, in the second fortnight of January; and the Carnival, which in recent times has displayed new musical rhythms such as the axé music and timbalada, apart from incorporating the lambada.

The Carnival has become the second most famous of Brazil - second only to Rio de Janeiro - and attracts ever-increasing groups of tourists from both Brazil and abroad, who follow the trios elétricos (highly-amplified guitars, drums and singers on a float), afoxés (groups of African dancers singing about themes of Candomblé) and Afro groups (a type of percussion band based on African rhythms) down the "parade street" between the City square and the suburb of Ondina.

Groups of revellers also drag thousands of people to the Barra lighthouse and to Castro Alves square, where the most famous meeting of the trios elétricos takes place on Tuesday morning, the last day of the Carnival.

Candomble and history and Brazil

In the book "The Brazilians" , the author devotes a whole chapter headed the "Orixas" recounting the origins and traditions of Candomble and history and Brazil.

Music

Candomblé music, an essential part of the ritual, derives from African music and has had a strong influence in other popular (non-religious) Brazilian music styles. The word batuque, for instance, has entered the Brazilian vernacular as a synonym of "rhythmic percussion music".

Candomble pictures, history and Brazil

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