Sylvia Niccum and Kendra Noll

Overview

•  Brazil •  Origins of Candomblé •  Beliefs •  Rituals •  Music

Brazil

•  5th largest country in the world

•  5th most populous country

•  Former colony of Portugal

•  Language: Portugese •  Tropical climate

Bahia (Capital da Alegria) •  Located on the Northeast

coast of Brazil •  38% of all slaves that

came to the Americas went through Bahia.

•  80% of population is of

Black African origin •  Where the term “Afro-

Brazilian” came from

Bahia

Culture •  Laid back attitudes •  Well-known for spicy cuisine, music and

architecture. •  Capital of Bahia, Salvador, is the 3rd most

populated city in Brazil. •  Rich in agriculture, main export •  60.5% are Roman Catholic

Candomblé

•  Afro-Brazilian polytheistic religion •  Brought by African slaves •  Term given by Bahia people for African-

rooted religions •  Centered around music

Candomblé •  Many slaves were forced to convert to

Catholicism (Hence elements of synthesization of Catholicism in Candomblé)

•  Banned by the Catholic church •  Criminalized by some governments •  Thrived for over four centuries, and expanded in

the late 1800s.

Candomblé

•  Practiced in terreiros also called casas (house temples)

•  Leader of the

house (always female)

Beliefs

•  One all powerful God, Oludumaré •  Oludumaré is distant and is served by

lesser deities called orixas.

Orixa

•  Represent a force in nature •  Associated with certain foods, colors,

animals and days of the week, diseases, war etc.

•  Hundreds of Orixas

Orixa •  Every person has their own individual orixa

which controls his or her destiny and acts as a protector.

Finding your Orixa

Orixa identity

•  Priest determines which orixa belongs to the new initiate

•  Month in seclusion, participating in other important rituals, before being presented to the general public.

Dress

•  Initiates wear all white before they receive possession of orixa

•  A string of beads of that deity is placed around the initiate's neck.

•  Once possession is reached they wear the colors of their orixa

•  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrCFtojoy7Q

•  Ogum, god of iron, presides over technology and agriculture. He is seen kneeling on the ground, wearing his crown of palm fronds.

Initiation Ceremony Two parts: •  1st is preparation where only priest and initiates

allowed •  Decorations, animal slaughter •  2nd is public mass (ONLY members of

Candomblé are allowed) •  Where they dance to receive possession of

personal orixa •  Ends with banquet and feast

Olugbajé feast

•  The Olugbajé banquet feast is served in large leaves and contains food sacred to all the deities. It is believed the food has healing powers .

Worship •  Worship takes the form of specially

choreographed dances and hymns. •  Dance is a call to the spirits. •  At its height, orixa possession occurs •  Drumming •  Trance

Music

•  Drumming is the most important element to the religion.

•  Drumming is the basis for ritual dances •  Drum music ‘calls’ the gods •  Brings on spirit ‘possession’

Drums

•  Sacred •  Communicate with the deities •  Baptized by means of animal sacrifices and

food-offering. •  Drums’ axé (or spiritual force) is ritually

renewed at least once a year.

Drums

•  Three drums (atabaques) •  Largest drum (Rum) •  Medium drum (Pi) •  Small drum (Le)

The master drummer •  Plays the largest drum

(rum) of the trio •  Always male •  Improvises upon the

characteristic rhythms •  Controls the

choreographic development of the ritual dances.

Rhythm

•  Rhythmic patterns associated with certain deities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrCFtojoy7Q •  Cross-rhythms and polyrhythms predominate •  Duple and triple meters •  Hemiolas; a subtle duple-triple ambivalence.

Banquet