The Rhythm of Candomblé and the Invocation of the Orixás

Published on November 22, 2012 · Updated on May 18, 2026

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The importance of music in Candomblé

In Candomblé, music plays a fundamental role in the invocation of the orixás, who act as intermediaries between humans and the gods.

Cerimonia de Candomble — Candomblé ceremony

Spiritual connection

Through rhythms and chants, followers establish a spiritual connection that allows the orixás to manifest. In the Bahia de Todos os Deuses (Bahia of All Gods), the priestesses and followers of Candomblé, with their pompous costumes – turbans (torços), coastal scarves, loose robes, and starched petticoats, as well as bracelets and necklaces in the colours of the orixás – have created an image that has become a traditional symbol of Afro-Brazilian culture.

Sacred drums

The sacred drums, known as Run (the largest), Rumpi (the medium) and Lé (the smallest), play a fundamental role in rituals and are treated by followers as true gods. These drums receive offerings, bows and are an integral part of the cult.

They are not ordinary or “pagan” instruments; they are christened with a ceremony involving a godfather and godmother, holy water and specific rituals. Every year they are “fed” with dendê oil, honey, holy water and the blood of a chicken, which is ritually sacrificed because four-legged animals are never offered to the drums.

Music and the incorporation of the Orixás

Ritmo do Candomblé

Music is essential to Candomblé because it is through music that the orixás are incorporated. The drums communicate directly with the gods, calling them back to earth.

Instruments used

In addition to the atabaques, other instruments are used, such as the aguidavi (green wooden sticks), with which the atabaques are played, and the agogô (a single or double metal bell), which marks the rhythm with a metal stick.

Each Candomblé nation has its own variations in the way the atabaques are played. For example, in the terreiros of the Angola nation, the drums are played with the hands, while in the terreiros of the Ketu nation, aguidavis are used.

Rhythms of the Orixás

Each orisha has its own rhythms that reflect its nature. Among the best known rhythms in Candomblé are

Ajagun, a warrior rhythm dedicated to Ogum;
Alujá, the powerful rhythm of Xangô;
Agueré, used by Oxóssi, the orisha of the hunters;
Igbin, a slow rhythm dedicated to Oxalá;
Opanijé, characteristic of Omolú.

The Ijexá is another important rhythm, mainly associated with Oxum, but also with Ogum, Oxóssi, Logunedé and Oxalá.

Conclusion

These rhythms, with their diversity and complexity, are central elements of religious practice in Candomblé and deserve further study to understand their cultural richness and spirituality.

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Written by Willy Sievert

Editor of Bahia.ws since its founding in 2009. Based in Salvador, he travels frequently across the Northeast and all of Brazil to keep the guides up to date. Learn more about Willy Sievert →