Via the online platform Zoom we’ll join you for 90 minutes from Salvador, Brazil — where this unique religion started — and give you an insider’s view that is normally reserved for in-person visitors to Salvador.
Your guides on this virtual adventure and Bira and Jen, and we can’t wait to meet you. (Virtually, of course!)
Bira is an internationally-recognized music professor, specializing in the rhythms of Candomblé. He is also the son of a mãe-de-santo (head priestess), has been a part of Candomblé for more than 20 years, and is the alabé (head musician) of the terreiro Ilê Axé Omim J’Oba. Bira is the musical director at the Diaspora Cultural Center in Salvador’s historic center and leads its carnival group, Afoxé Aryalogum.
I (Jen) moved to Salvador in 2015 and have been regularly attend Candomblé ceremonies with Bira ever since. I share Bira’s passion for Salvador and unlocking the mysteries of this amazing city and culture.
* Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
* Starts: Salvador, Brazil
* Trip Category: Classes & Workshops >> Music Classes
Via the online platform Zoom we’ll join you for 90 minutes from Salvador, Brazil — where this unique religion started — and give you an insider’s view that is normally reserved for in-person visitors to Salvador.
Your guides on this virtual adventure and Bira and Jen, and we can’t wait to meet you. (Virtually, of course!)
Bira is an internationally-recognized music professor, specializing in the rhythms of Candomblé. He is also the son of a mãe-de-santo (head priestess), has been a part of Candomblé for more than 20 years, and is the alabé (head musician) of the terreiro Ilê Axé Omim J’Oba. Bira is the musical director at the Diaspora Cultural Center in Salvador’s historic center and leads its carnival group, Afoxé Aryalogum.
I (Jen) moved to Salvador in 2015 and have been regularly attend Candomblé ceremonies with Bira ever since. I share Bira’s passion for Salvador and unlocking the mysteries of this amazing city and culture.
Itinerary
The deities, or Orixás, of Candomblé play a prominent role in the culture of Brazil. From the food to the music to the dance to the world-famous carnival, Candomblé is ever-present. To not understand Candomblé is to not truly understand Brazil.
Candomblé started in the sugar cane fields of Bahia, Brazil and we’ll be joining you from the capital of Bahia — Salvador. Our guide in this cultural journey is a Candomblé alabé (head musician) with more than 20 years experience inside the religion.
Together we’ll explore:
* The three primary lineages of Candomblé in Bahia and its sister religions around the world
* The primary Orixás present in Bahia’s Candomblé — their roles and what they signify
* The fascinating synchronism between Candomblé and Catholicism
* The influence of Candomblé on Salvador’s Carnaval — the afoxés, afro blocos, and “street candomblé”
* The role of music and dance in Candomblé
You can’t have Candomblé without music — at least not when the head musician is involved — so we’ll spend about half of our time exploring three rhythms of three different Orixás: Oxum, Oxóssi, and Xangô. You’ll learn a basic rhythm for each Orixá, and maybe even a related song and dance.
