Afro-Brazilian believers and Neo-Pentecostals join up for concert

Despite growing tolerance, churches still hostile to African origin

Isabela Vieira reports from Agência Brasil

Published on 22/01/2014 - 12:25

Rio de Janeiro

Religiões africanas — © Arquivo/Agência Brasil

For the first time in 14 years, leaders of Afro-Brazilian religions Candomblé and Umbanda and Neo-Pentecostal Evangelical churches are coming together in a single event. Held by the Commission Against Religious Intolerance (CCIR), a concert called “Cantando a Gente se Entende” (which would loosely translate as “United in Singing”) will bring together music groups of diverse faiths to celebrate religious freedom and peaceful coexistence.

The event marks the National Religious Freedom Day (January 21), created in memory of Candomblé priestess Gildásia dos Santos. She was persistently harassed by a Neo-Pentecostal church and eventually died from a heart attack in 2000 as she found out that she had been publicly accused of being a charlatan by a church newspaper.

Candomblé leader Ivanir dos Santos concedes that believers of many religions have become more tolerant, but says the churches' hostility toward African-origin religious practices still persist: “They demonize our children in school, demonize our religious and popular culture – like the Samba and capoeira – and our rituals.”

Established in Brazil 12 years ago, the Voice of God Evangelical Church, a Neo-pentecostal cult, will be the first to join the event. Pastor-president Ayo Balogun, of Nigerian origins, says Brazil has yet to overcome prejudice: “Churches are supposed to bring people closer together rather than showing disregard for those who do not share their beliefs.”

Ivanir dos Santos sees their acquiescence as a first step which may encourage other churches to unite against religious intolerance: “His gesture is a seed that will most certainly grow as so many evangelicals are open-minded.”

The concert begins on Friday (Jan. 24) in downtown Rio. Tião Casemiro and Taina, candomblé priests, Father Omar, and Afro Gospel band have confirmed their attendance. The Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani Tempesta, was invited but has not yet confirmed.

On Tuesday (Jan. 21), CCIR-affiliated Candomblé, Umbanda, and Neo-Pentecostal priests, alongside Spiritists, Muslims, Buddhists, Gypsies, Wiccans, Bahá'ís, and Hare Krishnas, attended an inter-faith celebration in Campo Grande, West side of Rio.

Translated by Mayra Borges