The book was very very good in the yoruban sections but I could not help but wonder who chose the essays on brasil and on what merit of the authors. It is very upsetting to see someone come from outside the culture and religion, have a very very small taste of it only by looking, watching, and then presume they have the right to make blanket statements to the world about what they believe to be "white" umbanda and "afro-brasilian" umbanda, etc,. The whole piece is full of this ethnocentric attitude and it is obvious the author is from the united states, only a
u.s. researcher could conclude there is a "white" and a "black" involved in religion. Just from this view point it is obvious the author understood nothing about the spirit of brasil, the religions of brasil and how they are entertwined, the people of brasil, and for this I say it is a shame that such a nice book is marred by a few pieces that have no value or merit.
I would like to point out that where the essay author claims that "white" umbanda is somehow different than the "afro" because they beleive in the reincarnantion, astral bodies, the possibility of having spiritual attacks on these bodies etc., these beliefs are identical to the yoruban beliefs, candomble, umbanda. Duh. These beliefs do not make them "white", as if they are somehow "New Age" united states equivalent thought.
Also, the author visit only a few terreiros, centros, iles in the south of brasil and, with exception of Salvador, but went to two of the most touristic areas possible. It is not posible to make blanket statement that "umbanda is like this, candomble is like that" without traveling the whole country. The northeast of brasil is very very different from the south, and pernambuco state is very different from the bahia state.
I wish this author would have come into the terreiros of my home town and then I could show her what faith and devotion is. To denigrate someones religous practice because of your own prejudice and ethnocentric views is shameful. My Godmother's centro would have been labeled "white" by this author and she was anything but white. What the author failed to deliver on is the countless hands in prayer, the words and works whispered in devotion, a lifetime of faith and devotion to Osun no matter if the rituals are "acceptable" to a gringo from outside. Behind the decorations and crepe paper, the iced cupcakes and little baskets for Osun lies love, faith, devotion. The author probably does not realize that most all terreiros will offer foods to the attending public, but it is also a show of love for Osun, to feed the public with nice pleasant things. And everyone recieves a "lembranca" to take home, a small filled decorated basket or roses of Osuns to remember the party, to decorate the most times very sparse homes most live in. It is something to remember a good time with, a special loving time adoring Osun or other orisa.
Poverty is a reality and to judge someone by whether they have a sufficient number of "afro" seeming rituals is ridiculous. We have drug dealers and doctors in any terreiro in the northeast rubbing shoulders. To do "charity" is called working to help people who do not have resources except for their IMMENSE FAITH IN THE ORISAS AND GUIDES. When your daughter or son is caught up with drugs because there are no jobs, education for the poor, and is being threatened with murder, you turn to the mediums and Iyalorisas and Babas capable of helping you no matter what. When you are needing a job, money, health problem, you turn to them. A vast majority of terreiros practice a mix of candomble and what we call Jurema in the northeast. We say there is a right hand and a left hand. One hand helps the other, you cannot have just orisasa inside your terreiro. For many reasons you want to have the side of the Jurema, the enchanted beings, the Mestres, the Caboclos etc., pomba giras etc., to give service for the public, they are most humanlike, accessible, give excellent advice and heal, help, guide you, the orisas are more apart, work differently, are to be reverenced, they do not sit down with you to chat! So we have the two sides and do not mix them on the same days of course. And there is blood offering on the both sides. If there is a centro where they do not make blood offerings, so what? We understood the role all religious centeres play. Try and imagine that brasil is much like other countries in that there are diverse populations and age groups. You will have a group of older church women in the u.s. who get together, like to make refreshments for the parties and it is very normal. So it is the same in brasil. Why are brasilians to be judged on how "afro" they are or not in the religion? This is a thing of outsiders. It is just various styles and ways of worship. If it is not obvious, I am very displeased with the way the author portrayed brasil to the world.
