Tag Archives: candomble

Yes, Black is King.

From references to baby Moses flowing down the river in a wicker basket, to painting faces using what looks like efun, a native West African white chalk that is used in religious ceremony, to women walking to the shore holding baskets of flowers on their heads and others with calabashes in their hands – and that’s just the first few minutes – this visual album is a spiritual experience if there ever was one. For me, Black is King showcases the depth of Afro-Diasporic religiosity by highlighting that following Jesus doesn’t mean one has to relinquish, ignore and demonize indigenous ancestry and ways of understanding the brilliance and vast interconnectedness of Olorun’s creation.     

Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile Part 3

Orixa Ninu Ile is a documentary about Candomblé that takes viewers through Ile Axe Opo Afonja in Bahia to take a look at specific Orisha and their worship. This documentary truly is a gem, and I’ve been working on translating and adding subtitles. The full documentary is about 30 minutes long. In order to translate theContinue reading “Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile Part 3”

Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile Part 2

Orixa Ninu Ile is a documentary about Candomblé that takes viewers through Ile Axe Opo Afonja in Bahia to take a look at specific Orisha and their worship. This documentary truly is a gem, and I’ve been working on translating and adding subtitles. The full documentary is about 30 minutes long. In order to translate theContinue reading “Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile Part 2”

Isokuso – How Yoruba Language Influences Candomblé

by Iya Melissa Isokuso means slang in Yoruba. While it’s undeniable that African languages did not survive as living languages in Brazil, there are several words – used by folks who are not even members of Afro-Brazilian religions – that have become part of the colloquial vocabulary. Isokuso, a documentary by Dionysios Kostakis, takes us toContinue reading “Isokuso – How Yoruba Language Influences Candomblé”

Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile

Orixa Ninu Ile is a documentary about Candomblé that takes viewers through Ile Axe Opo Afonja in Bahia to take a look at specific Orisha and their worship. This documentary truly is a gem, and I’ve been working on translating and adding subtitles. The full documentary is about 30 minutes long. In order to translate theContinue reading “Documentary: Orixa Ninu Ile”

Understanding Tradition – a reflection

Those who study and practice the African derived religions of the diaspora often develop questions that we can’t easily find the answers to. Sometimes, the impulse is to look outside of the traditions of the diaspora to explain the norms that have developed in the diaspora over time. While the many traditions that developed inContinue reading “Understanding Tradition – a reflection”

Women Combat Religious Intolerance

by Iya Melissa In 2014, Marcos Rezende premiered his documentary, “Mulheres de Axé,” (Women of Axé) during New York City’s Brazil Week.  I had the pleasure of attending the presentation of his work on this project – the documentary and a photo book capturing important images of women in Candomblé.  The documentary is subtitled inContinue reading “Women Combat Religious Intolerance”

Combating Religious Intolerance on Social Media – an interview

The campaign – Testemunhos de Axe – was looking for people willing to share their stories about leaving the church and joining a terreiro.  I reached out to one of the organizers, Renata Cassini, to find out more about the movement.

Pastor Indicted for Destroying Images in a Terreiro in the Baixada Fluminense

One person was indicted in a police in a police investigation based on the Law of Racism for religious discrimination. According to the Civil Police, a man who identified himself as pastor Daniel Marins Francisco published a video on social media, where he appears breaking religious images of a terreiro.