Ashe /AXÉ, VOICES OF PASSION

The development of Candomble by Silvia Nakkach and Julie Birnbaum

Derived from the Yoruba people of West Africa and developed in Brazil, Candomble seeks harmony with the natural elements. The religion is organized around Geographical centers known as terreiros, which are usually led by high priestesses, (maes de santo) or priests, (pais de santo). Followers worship a pantheon of orishas, or deities, in a seasonal cycle. During ceremonies, practitioners dress in the colors of the orishas and offer food to an altar before chanting, drumming, singing and dancing.. The vital and anthropomorphic nature of the orisha creates intimate contact between believer and deity, and at the height of ceremony an epiphany, or possession, may occur when the orisha takes over the believer's body. (Davis)

The West African belief system involves becoming one with your orisha-- your protector and helper. The concept is similar to the Catholic view of praying to the saints. The similarities between the two concepts allowed the Africans to conceal their beliefs by disguising their orishas as Catholic saints, and their sacred song and and dance as parties. The need for secrecy made it necessary to conceal the meaning of certain dances and songs from the uninitiated. At times, musicians revealed and at the same time preserved the secret rhythms by mixing them with more accepted musical forms. The popular sounds of today's Mambo, Salsa and Samba are undeniably linked to Candomble.

Ashe ( Ase/Axe, Yoruba) In the beginning there was ashe, and ashe was everything. When ashe began to think, ashe became the god Olodumare. When Oludumare began to act, Olodumare became Olofi, and it was Olofi who created Obatala, the first orisha. Ashe is the inner energy and power that allows us to access the right side of the brain and use its powers. Ashe is similar to, but more than aura, soul, or spirituality. It is a living, breathing, palpable flow of energy that can either increase or diminish, depending upon our behavior.

Ashe is a fundamental term within Candomble and the divine force behind it, used as a salutation and to identify the embodiment of divinity. Most simply understood, ashe is cosmic energy, present in every object, entity and living being: a rock, a word, an ocean, a human, a tree. It is also an alchemical power, capable of transforming those it touches. Certain practices, particularly song, dance, and ritual, intensify ashe. These ceremonies of the orishas can not be separated from ashe they contain and represent the worship directed to the deities. The trance-state that such ceremonies can create is understood as divine contact, sharing, or even merging with the orishas.

Effects of Candomble Candomble is seen by many Brazilians as a profound site of resistance for African-descended slaves. While it was certainly shaped and altered by its historical placement within the nation-state of Brazil and the religious context of Christianity, Candomble has been a site for Blacks to honor and practice their heritage. For women, especially, it has been argued that Candomble allows access to more power, status, and authority than anywhere else in society (Staal).