Bahian music artist, Rafael Pondé talks DJ Soul Rebel about Bahia and the world sounds of Brazilian music on Roots Rock Reggae radio show at Takoma Park Radio, 94.3 FM.
Interview, Part 1
Watch part 2 of the interview here.
Also, check out one of his recent releases, a collaboration with Batalá Washington, Jah Innocence.
Batala Washington members were interviewed for this episode of Interfaith Voices, a national public radio program about faith and social justice.
The theme for the episode is about Brazil’s changing religious landscape as Pentacostalism continues to grow beyond traditional Catholicism and become more contentious against Afro-Brazilian religions (Candomble, Umbanda, Macumba).
The last section of the episode features Batala Washington.
In a recent blog post, Afroculinarian Michael Twitty describes how the book, The Masters and the Slaves (titled Casa-Grande & Senzala in Portuguese), by Gilberto Freyre, introduced him to the historical beginnings and sociological influences that produced a significant part of the food culture in Brazil through traditional Afro-Brazilian cuisine. Twitty also credits the book as what inspired him in his own search for the “roots of soul food” from his own ancestral past.
How a Brazilian Scholar Inspired My Search for the Roots of Soul Food
(The photo above is a Bahian dish called Vatapa. Photo from Afroculinaria)
In the terreiro (places of worship in Candomblé), a xirê (which means circle and pronounced ‘shee-RAY’) is a dance ceremony (usually open to the public) that is held to invoke the orixás as a part of Candomblé ritual. The initiated dance for the orixás and the orixás enter and dance through the bodies of the initiates through trance. When the orixá manifests through the initiate, the initiate is dressed elaborately in full regalia as the orixá. The orixá is returned to the public circle and continues to dance while others cheer, sing, and greet the orixá. The orixá may offer advice and healing to many people that are in attendance.
Each orixá has its own dance movements, greetings, songs, and drum rhythms, many of which are showcased in non-religious performances, and even Afro-Brazilian dance classes, and other folkloric events. In the video below, Balé folclórico da Bahia performs dances for Ogum, Oxum, Obaluayê, Iansã (Oya), Oxossi, and Oxalá (Obatala) respectively.
