Batuque de Porto Alegre

The Batuque is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and is similar to other Afro-Brazilian rituals such as Xangô in Recife (Pernambouc State) or Candomblé from Bahia. Originally, terreiro (the name of Batuque's temple) was found in the south 150 to 160 years ago by an emancipated woman slave who came from northeast Brazil, but precise data on Batuque's origins in Porto Alegre are not known. Batuque is characterized by its strong syncretism with the Catholic religion, with each orixá (gods in the Batuque; there are 12 main orixás) having at least one corresponding Catholic saint. Everyone in Batuque claims Catholic identity (through baptism), being Afro-Brazilian and Catholic at the same time. Although it was traditionally a Black religion, ...