From Correio da Bahia
Gantois, the Candomblé terreiro founded by Mae Menininha do Gantois, will be designated as a historical site today at noon by Iphan (The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Sites), with the presence of the minister of culture, Francisco Weffort. The religious center will be the third terreiro to be so designated in Salvador. The designation of Gantois follows that of Casa Branca (on Vasco da Gamma Avenue), declared a historic site 16 years ago, and Ilé Axé Opó Afonjá (Cabula), declared a historic site in 1999. Yesterday, Ilé Axé Opó Afonjá inaugurated its IXth Afonjá Fair of African Culture, with the objective of promoting integration between the community and candomblé, the religion of the orixás.
About 15 tents will be selling drinks, traditional foods (acarajé, abará, vatapá) and crafts until sunday. The fair is promoted by the ogãs Ilé Axé Opó Afonjá and intends to preserve the memory of the religion for descendants of Africans in Brazil and the exchange of similar experiences with representatives of other terreiros, Bahians and tourist. The religious center, that already enters its 92nd year, is the biggest terreiro in Brazil – 40 a thousand square meters – and occupies an area that was declared a “protected forest area” by Salvador’s Department of Ebvironmental Conservation (APA) ten years ago.
The opening of the fair counted with the participation of the association known as the Filhos de Gandhy, Proyecto Axé band and the Sembagota group, which will perform to homage Mae Stella de Oxóssi, the terreiro’s ialorixá. Singer Márcia Short will perform on Sunday. Yesterday, mayor Antonio Imbassahy and the president of the Iphan, Carlos Heck visited the terreiro to partake of the fair.
“Ilé Axé Opó Afonjá’s contribution in the area of the education and religiosity is fantastic. The terreiro preserves the origin, the cultural identity and the self-esteem of descendants of Africans in Brazil. The fair is just another of the instruments that it uses to accomplish these ends”, said Imbassahy. The mayor said that there are plans to extend the physical structure of the Municipal School Eugênia Anna Dos Santos, that functions through a partnership between the terreiro and City Hall. The school is the only one in all Brazil to teach to the Yoruba language.
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