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Lavagem do Bonfim

This celebration happens on the second Thursday after Epiphany (Three Kings Day). It is the second most popular party in Salvador, after Carnival. The washing of the Igreja do Bonfim (Church of Bonfim) steps is a  tradition that mixes the faiths of the two main religions:  Catholicism and the Candomblé. The mães de santos, female priests in the Candomblé religion, dress in ritual costumes and start the procession at the Conceição da Praia church by walking, dancing, singing religious songs, and carrying flowers up to the top of Bonfim Church. There, they wash the stairways of the church with scented water.

Senhor do Bonfim became an object of popular devotion due to his powerful miracles. He is syncretized with the orixá Oxalá (Obatala). Thousands  of believers accompany the procession in search of protection, to pay a hommage, purification of their soul, or simply to have fun. It’s a huge party with lots of batucada (drumming). A huge party starts around the Mercado Modelo earlier in the day and an even bigger party continues around the Church of Bonfim later in the day and into the night.

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Candomblé

Candomblé is a religion based on West African traditions (mainly from the Yoruba, Ewe, Fon, and Congo ethnic groups) which also combines elements of Catholicism and is practiced in Brazil. Practitioners believe in one supreme God who is worshiped by honoring a number of deities called orixás which each represent spiritual forces of nature. It is believed that all things in nature, including ourselves, contain God’s (Olodumarê) axé, which is the life force energy or essence that creates existence. By honoring the orixás, we can increase and improve our own spiritual energies and live in harmony and balance with nature and one another. Spiritual worship through atabaque drumming, singing, and dancing produced the rhythms that gave birth to the origins of Samba, the national music of Brazil.

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Reveillon (New Year’s Eve)

 

Reveillon

New Year’s Eve in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil is a festive and relaxed environment. Thousands of Bahians dress in white with their champagne bottles ready to commemorate the New Year. To secure blessings for the new year, roses are presented to Yemanjá, the orixá of the sea, while some also have a midnight sea bath. At the Barra Lighthouse (Farol da Barra), people enjoy Brazilian pop music concerts until sunrise.

 

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Categories

  • Bahian Culture
  • Bahian Food
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Afro Afro-Bahian afro-brazilian afro-feminist axe bahia Baianas Black Black Consciousness Month black movement blocos Candomble Carnaval Cortejo Afro cuisine Culture dance female Festas film food History Iemanja iyalorixa mae de santo Male movimento negro music Olodum Omolu orixa orixas Oxossi recipe recipes Reconcavo reggae religion roda Salvador Samba samba reggae social resistance women Yemanja

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Batalá Washington celebrates Black History Month Batalá Washington celebrates Black History Month and joins in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society. We honor the roots of the music we play as well as our Black artists and musicians. Did you know that Samba-reggae arose in the context of the Black Pride Movement that occurred in the city of Salvador de Bahia, around the year 1969, and it still carries connotations of ethnic identity and pride for Afro-Brazilians today? #blackhistorymonth #blacklivesmatter #batalahey #sambareggaemusic #musicofresistance
Every year on February Second, some million or mor Every year on February Second, some million or more people in the Brazilian city of Salvador, Bahia, walk in procession through the streets of the Rio Vermelho district of that city, all dressed in white, making their way down to the seashore and the small house that's said to be the home of Yemanjá, a powerful goddess (Orixá) in the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé. Yemanjá is the essence of motherhood, the protector of children, fishermen and sailors, and most importantly, she is the sea itself. When the celebrants reach the shore Yemanjá's they pass their baskets laden with gifts for the goddess to fishermen to take out to sea and leave them on the waters as offerings to the Orixá. Gifts for Yemanjá often include images of the goddess, flowers and objects of female vanity (perfume, jewelry, combs, lipsticks, mirrors). Later in the day, the festival of Yemanjá becomes a massive street party which carries on into the night.

In the synchristic tradition that blends the Orixás who traveled to Brazil with African slaves with the saints and holy figures of Christianity who arrived with the Portuguese,  Yemanjá is identified with certain aspects of the Virgin Mary, and February Second in the Roman Catholic calendar is the day of Our Lady of Navigators (Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes). The celebrants at Salvador's festival honor one divinity in two personages, the African Yemanjá and the Christian Our Lady, without thoughts of separation or difference between the two.

Gifts for Yemanjá
As with all the gods and goddess of the Candomblé tradition, Yemanjá is associated with certain foods, and these foods are offered to her on her special day as well as eaten by her devotees at the street festival that follows the ceremonical activities of the day. Yemanjá's colors, like the Virgin Mary's, are white and blue - obvious choices for a Rainha do Mar (Queen of the Sea). An Orixá's favorite foods are often visually connected with his or her image and chosen colors, Yemanjá's special food are white, or very light in color (there are very few foods that are truly blue). Yemanjá prefers sweet foods, making such dishes as honeyed rice and sweet corn puddings.
We couldn’t help but to join in the Bernie fun! We couldn’t help but to join in the Bernie fun! Thanks to our drummer gal @jcon2313 for the photo edit! 😅🙌🏽🎉 #batalahey #berniesanders #berniesmittens
Wishing you all, our friends and family, a wonderf Wishing you all, our friends and family, a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year! We hope we get to perform for you in person in 2021! #batalahey #oneloveonedrum 🎉💪🏽🎶🥁
Memories of last year (2019) when we added music a Memories of last year (2019) when we added music and percussion background sounds to the “Un Violador En Tu Camino” manifestation supporting all the survivors of sexual assault, violence and harrassment. #elvioladorerestú #lastesis #saynotoviolenceagainstwomen
We SOO miss playing at this great yearly event! ❤️😩 But all the love to our friends at @krampusnachtdc for the awesome video 👌🏽🎉❤️ #batalahey #oneloveonedrum❤️🥁
Happy “I can’t, I have practice” day to all Happy “I can’t, I have practice” day to all our fellow musicians of the world! #internationalmusiciansday #batalahey #oneloveonedrum❤️🥁
#Repost @batala_atenas Our music has its roots in #Repost @batala_atenas
Our music has its roots in Salvador in Bahia, and is filled with a big dose of brazilian samba...last year some of us were lucky enough to visit our home of inspiration and play with @batala_brasilia, alongside our Batala friends from across the world. It was such an amazing experience...truly unforgettable! #OneLoveOneDrum ❤️🥁

#Athens #Greece #expression_greece #batala #batalamundo #batalaatenas #sambareggae #samba #brazilianmusic #brazil #brazilian #brazilianmusic #takemebacktobrazil #brazil🇧🇷
Felíz Dia de los Muertos DC! #diadelosmuertos #ba Felíz Dia de los Muertos DC! #diadelosmuertos #batalahey #batalamundo #washingtondclife #washingtondcmusicians #tamboreras #womendrummers
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