Oxum

It's night in Salvador and you hear drumming. It may be coming from one of the numerous terreiros de candomblé scattered throughout the city. Most terreiros will permit visitors to attend their ceremonies. Should you go, dress respectfully. Trousers for men, and women should wear longer skirts. White is best because it is respectful to all the orixás.

("Orixá" is commonly translated as "god".  A more accurate representation would perhaps be "saint".  Candomblé posits a monotheistic supreme being -- usually referred to as Olodumaré -- with the orixás being called upon as intermediaries between earthbound humans and the all-powerful, much as a Christian will pray for a saint's intercession on his or her behalf.)

If you speak Portuguese and would like to find information with respect to various houses of candomblé, where they are located, what nights they hold their ceremonies, and when they have their special festas, a good place to go is the FEDERAÇÃO BAIANA DE CULTO AFRO BRASILEIRO, located at Rua Portas do Carmo, 39 (1st floor) in Pelourinho.

Following are addresses and telephone numbers for some of Salvador's principal terreiros de candomblé. I think that intending observers should be aware of the fact that, from their point-of-view, the ceremonies may last a long time without a lot of the dramatic highlights they may be expecting.

Stairway to Casa de Oxumaré

CASA DE OXUMARÉ
Address: Rua Pedro Gama, (no number) - 2nd Travessa - Federação
Tel: 3237.2859
*Pai Silvonilton

The address for this terreiro is in Federação, but unless you know the winding backstreets of the neighborhood you'll never get there. The terreiro is very easy to get to from Avenida Vasco da Gama, however (there is an entrance at Vasco da Gama, 343), and thus the locale is located conveniently close to the city center. Arriving from the Vasco end, however, means climbing steps, lots of steps -- one hundred and four of them to be exact.

The full name of the house is Ilê Axé Oxumaré. It was founded around 1900 and is descended from the Ketu Nation. Ceremonies begin at 8:00 p.m. (or so) on Wednesday nights, and last two to three hours. Visitors are welcome.

CASA BRANCA
Address: Av. Vasco da Gama, 463 - Vasco da Gama
Tel: 3334.2900
*Mãe Altamira Cecília dos Santos

Casa Branca (White House), or Ilê Axé Yá Nassô, is usually cited as Salvador's first house of candomblé, but it might be better said to be Salvador's oldest continually functioning house of candomblé because candomblé was practiced in the senzalas and on the terreiros of the sugarcane plantations both before (and after) the house was established. The "house" (in an organizational sense) was first located on the Ladeira do Berquo -- now known as Rua Visconde de Itaparica -- behind the Igreja (Church) da Barroquinha (the church is easily visible from Praça Castro Alves; it burned in 1983 but the structure still stands).

Ceremonies are on Sunday nights, beginning at 8 p.m.

Mãe Menininha

GANTOIS (Ilê Axé Yá Massê)
Address: Alto do Gantois, 23 - Federação
Tel: 3336.9594
*Mãe Carmem

Gantois was the house of famous Mãe Menininha, mother of the yalorixá now presiding over the terreiro  (...and a lovely song in her honor was composed by Dorival Caymmi; Dona Ivone Lara -- first lady of samba -- sings the version below)

Listen to "Mãe Menininha" 

Xangô (in Cachoeira)

ILÊ AXÉ OPÔ AFONJÁ
Address: Rua Direta de São Gonçalo, 557 - Cabula
Tel: 3384.5229/3384.6800
*Mãe Estela

ABAÇA DE AMAZI
Address: José Ramos, 165, Vila América - Vasco da Gama
Tel: 3261.2354
*Mãe Aida

BATE FOLHA
Address: Travessa de São Jorge, 65 E - Mata Escura do Retiro
Tel: 3306.2163
*Pai Eduarlindo

CASA DE BABÁ
Address: Av. Beira Mar (no number) - Ponta de Areia
Tel: 3631.4093
*Pai Domingos dos Santos

CENTRO DE ANGOLA MENSAGEIRO DA LUZ
Address: Rua Ferreira Santos 53 - Federação
Tel: 3247.4974
*Mãe Vitória

DE OGUN
Address: Rua 3 de Maio, 25, Cosme de Farias
Tel: 3258-4221/3288-4568
*Pai Edson

DE OXOSSI
Address: Rua 6 de Janeiro, 29 - Sete de Abril
Tel: 3393.1168/1561
*Mãe Lindaura

DE OXOSSI
Address: Rua Apolinário Santana, 48 - Engenho Velho da Federação
Tel: 3203-6648
*Mãe Aice

DE OXOSSI
Address:Rua Queira Deus, 78 - Lauro de Freitas
Tel: 3379.9181
*Mãe Lúcia

DE OXUM
Address: Rua Hélio Machado, 108 - Boca do Rio
Tel: 3232.1460
*Mãe Nicinha

DE YANSÃ
Address: Rua Pedro Gama, Ladeira, 13 de Julho, 74 - 3rd Travessa - Federação
Tel: 3237.5878
*Mãe Ana Maria dos Santos

ILÊ ASE ODE OLUAMI
Address: Travessa Manuel Rangel, 49, Vila Matos - Rio Vermelho(Travessa next
to the Clínica Corpus).
Tel: 3247.8584
*Pai Jailton Bispo dos Santos

ILÊ ASIPA
Address: Itapuã
Tel: 3245.1638
*Mestre Didi

ILÊ AXÉ OYÁ MESI
Address: Conjunto Habitacional de Coutos - Casa 07, Caminho 11
Tel: 3397-2330 / 9981-7120
*Mãe Carmem França

ILÊ AXÉ AJAGUNA
Address: Rua Genesio Sales, 11 - Massaranduba
Tel: 3316-2478
*Pai Luís Roberto

ILÊ AXÉ ALAKETU
Address: Rua José Orlando, 26 E, Entrada de Cajazeira 7 - Águas Claras
Tel: 3395.7958
*Pai Lázaro

ILÊ AXÉ E BÁ OGUM
Address: Rua Sérgio de Carvalho, 39 - Vasco da Gama
Tel: 3334.0757
*Pai Luís da Muriçoca

ILÊ AXÉ MAROKETU
Address: Rua Antônio Viana, 65 - Cosme de Farias
Tel: 3276.3116/3382.7928
*Mãe Arcanja Moreira de Brito (Mãe Pastora)

ILÊ AXÉ NINFÁ OMIM
Terceira Travessa, Geraldo Martins 7E
Reference: After the Catholic church
Jardim de Guiomar
Sussuarana
Te: 3306-2763
*Pai Raimundo de Oxum

ILÊ AXÉ OPÔ AJAGUNÃ
Address: Jardim dos Diamantes, 14, Areia Branca - Lauro de Freitas
Tel: 3301.6234
*Pai Aristides

ILÊ OTÁ OMIN AXÉ NILÁ
Address: Parque Metropolitano do Abaeté - Itapuã (Across from Música da Bahia)
Tel: 3249.7059 / 3375-4723
*Mãe Dejanira Barbosa da Soledade

ILÊ AXÉ YÊYÊ IPONDA IMIN ONILÊ
Address: Rua Direta de Santo Antônio, 665, Portão - Lauro de Freitas
Tel: 3379.6748
*Pai Paulo Roberto Pinheiro da Cruz

ILÊ TOOYÁ LONI
Address: Ferreira Santos, 164 - Federação
Tel: 3247.0879/9968.6634
*Mãe Maria Célia

MANSO DANDALUNDA OYA KSIUBI DE UNZAMBI
Address: Rua Direita do Jambeiro, (no number), Areia Branca - Lauro de Freitas
Tel: 3301.6431
* Mãe Augusta OBÁ TONI
Address: Ladeira da Paz, 29 - Engenho Velho da Federação
Tel: 3203.6396
*Mãe Elza

OGUN RE SI OMEN
Address: Rua Heitor Dias, 34 - Cosme de Farias
Tel: 3389.0827
*Mãe Cinésia

OLGA DE ALAKETU
Address: Rua Luis Anselmo 67 - Matatu de Brotas
Tel: 3244.2285
*

ORÔ MILÁ
Address: Rua Coronel Felisberto Caldeiro, 24 - Macaúbas
Tel: 3243.0444
*Mãe Maria

ORUMIN
Address: Rua Professor Luiz Pinto, 5 E - Santa Cruz
Tel: 3248.6175
*Pai: José Maria Araujo de Souza

OXUM APARÁ
Address: Estrada Cia Aeroporto - Km 5,5. Rua Manoel Jovino, 67- Alto do
CEPEL (close to CEASA), Simões Filho
Tel: 3301-6591
*Mãe Guiomar

SANTA BARBÁRA
Address: Rua Antonio José Silva, 01, Estrada das Barreiras, Cabula
Tel: 3257-0583 / 3385-0012
*Mãe Yolanda

VILA SÃO ROQUE
: Rua Direita do Beiru, 884 E (next to the police module)
Tel: 3461-2790 / 9129-4472
*Mãe Jussiara