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 […]
Mulheres de Axé
Mulheres de Axé (Women of Axé) is a short documentary–with English subtitles–about the Bahian women of Candomblé and their roles in leading the community, keeping their culture alive, and being at the forefront of the struggle against religious intolerance and discrimination from evangelicals. The video features many of the same women featured in another documentary […]
Festivals for Iabás
Iyabá, meaning “Queen Mother” in Yoruba, is a term given to all feminine orixás in Candomblé, such as Iansã (Oyá), Oxúm, and Yemanjá. During the first and second week of December these deities, along with their Catholic counterparts are celebrated. Every December 4, thousands of Bahians attend mass and make carurus (a typical Bahian dish, […]
Exú – Messenger of the Orixás
In Candomblé and Umbanda, Exú is the orixá that serves as the messenger between humankind and the orixás. When offerings are made to the orixás, Exú receives his first so that he may deliver the axé of the offerings and messages to the other orixás for them to receive and accept it. Therefore, he is […]
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