Party for Iemanjá takes culture and faith to the sands of Arpoador

Faith, devotion, identity, culture. All these elements are at the grand feast of Iemanjá Day at the Arpoador, which takes place on Sunday, February 2. For the third consecutive year, faithful, cariocas and tourists will occupy the sands of Ipanema to greet the Queen of the Sea, orixá worshipped in religions of African origin and celebrated on this date in various parts of Brazil.

The party, on Sunday, must gather at least 25,000 people, with free programming from 8am to 10pm. The most awaited moment takes place early in the morning: a procession with offerings for Iemanjá leaves on time at 9am, led by representatives of the houses of umbanda and candomblé of centenary origins and about 300 artists of groups of afoxé, jongo and samba. The concentration is at the height of Tom Jobim's statue.

Along with the sustainability and preservation of the seas, organizers ask the public not to carry plastic, glass or wood, only biodegradable offerings. “It is a greeting to the Queen of the Sea, to her abode and to the forces of nature. Only flowers and fruits will be offered to the waters ", Father Dário asks, descended from the White House, first candomblé house in Brazil, and one of the leaders of the procession.

Next to him, Master Bangbala, at the age of 105, the oldest Ogan in the country in activity and patron of the event; Mother Mary of Peace, mother of Saint Quilombo San José, in Valença; and Marcos André, of Umbandanist family and one of the organizers of the event.

“ In addition to promoting integration between people of all the creeds, colors and regions of the city and exalting the culture of African matrix so powerful and at the same time so attacked, the party will generate more jobs and borders for the city through tourism, with the potential to become one of the biggest events in the Rio calendar ", says Marcos André, remembering that the same festival in honor of Iemanjá in Salvador attracts about 500,000 tourists and moves more than R $ 400 million to the economy of the municipality of Bahia.

The procession ends with a Drum Wheel, next to the Stone of the Arpoador, with candomblé points sung by Master Ogan Bangbala and Father Dário.

Music and party - Soon after the procession, an extensive cultural program is started that follows until the end of the night, with samba, afoxés, jongo, as well as gastronomy and craft tents.

Starting at 15h, there is a festival of Umbanda singers, with the presence of spinners of ten terreiros of the North Zone of Rio, who will give passes and prayers to the present.

The closing of the event will bring a great samba wheel, from 19h to 22h, with the presentation of the show Samba Jongo, which welcomes the Sambists Nina Rosa, Mingo Silva and Marcos André, and the Samba de Caboclo, with special participation of Blackinho da Serrinha. The presentation takes place on a stage mounted next to the Stone of the Arpoador.

Arpoador washing - A novelty of this edition of the party will be held on the eve, the 1st, with the washing ceremony of the Arpoador, from 18h. The act will be conducted by Afoxé Sons of Gandhi, followed by the traditional Afro block of Madureira, Lemi Ayó. Throughout Saturday, the Rogean beach artist will build a giant sand statue of Iemanjá.

Another novelty this year is the union with surfers who have been on the beach for many years and will enter the sea with flowers in offerings, at the fall of the afternoon of the 2nd at 5pm. At the same time, 150 Umbandista children of ten terreiros of the metropolitan region of Rio will open the spins in the sands of the Arpoador, giving passes to those who want to receive the axé.

The feast for Iemanjá in Rio dates back to a tradition created by the famous father of Saint Tata Tancredo, who in the early 1950s began the celebrations for the orixá in the sands of Copacabana, on December 31, consecrated day to Iemanjá in Umbanda. The party grew and gave rise to the famous réveillon of Copacabana, one of the biggest symbols in Rio for the whole world.

That is, in the heart of one of our greatest feasts, is devotion to this deity which, in the tradition of African matrix, protects the city bathed by the sea. So on day 2, cariocas and tourists will fill the sands of the beach to greet: Odoyá, Yemanja!

The Day of Iemanjá in the Arpoador is a realization of Marcos André, the Forest Institute, Samba Jongo Productions and the Immaterial Heritage Network of the State of Rio, with resources of the Prefeitura do Rio via the Municipal Secretariat of Culture and Hotel Arpoador. The event is supported by the Coordination of Religious Diversity, Coordination of Racial Equality of the Prefeitura do Rio, Secretariat of Policies for Women and Care, Department of Environment, Subprefecture of the South Zone, Ilé Axé Onixêgun, Company of Aruanda, Carta Magna da Umbanda Institute, Kalundú Collective, Pedra do Arpoador Conservation, Project Waves and the Jongo do Vale do Café Network.

COMPLETE PROGRAMME

Saturday, 1 February

18h30 - The Afoxé Sons of Gandhi of Rio will perform the washing of the Arpoador, opening the activities of the Day of Yemen with much axé followed by the traditional Afro Block of Madureira, Lemi Ayó at 20h;

Along Saturday, the Rogean beach artist will build a giant sand statue of Iemanjá.

Sunday, 2 February

8h - Concentration of the Courtship in the Statue of Tom Jobim

9h - Court with offerings led by OganBangbala, OganKotoquinho, Father Dário and Ilê Axé Onixêgun

9h30 - Gift for Iemanjá in the Stone of Arpoador

10h - Candomblé wheel with Orin Dudu group and religious leaders

14h - DJ Bieta

15h - Curimbas Festival in the Stone of the Arpoador with Pai Caio, Kalundú Collective and guests.

15h - Wheel of Afoxé with Ore lailai, Daughters of Gandhy and YzaDiordi

15h45 - Wheel with Jongo do Vale do Café

16h and 20h - Ciranda, Coco, Jongo and Roda Samba with the Jongo de Aruanda Company of the Morro da Serrinha and Tia Ira Rezadeira.

17h - Flower offerings at sea by surfers of the local Surf School “Arpoador Waves”.

17h at 9:00 pm - Umbanda spinners on beach sand with 10 yards organized by the Carta Magna da Umbanda Institute.

5:00 at 6:30 - DJ Bieta.

18h - Beach cleaning Mutirão with Stone Arpoador Conservation

18:30 - Umbanda wheel with Tião Casemiro

19h - Show “Samba Jongo” with Nina Rosa, Mingo Silva and Marcos André

20h45 - Show with the group Samba de Caboclo and special participation of Blackinho da Serrinha

22h - Closure soon after the beach cleaning match with the team of Pedra Arpoador Conservation

10h to 10h - Crespa Fair of gastronomy, fashion and craftsmanship in the Park Girl of Ipanema

18h and 22h - Cleansing of the beaches and stones with the public and project Pedra do Arpoador Conservation