On March 21, 2024, São Paulo became the stage for a radiant celebration where spirit, culture, and ancestry converged in a powerful tribute to African heritage. The third edition of the Ilé Àşẹ́ Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Awards transformed the Paulo Kobayashi Auditorium in the Legislative Assembly into sacred ground, where voices rose in praise, drums spoke in rhythms of old, and the presence of the ancestors could be felt in every breath. More than a mere gathering, it was a homecoming of souls, a celebration of faith in the colors of resilience and reverence.
Over a thousand participants filled the space—leaders and practitioners of Ifá, Òrìṣà traditions, Candomblé, Umbanda, and other African-based religions stood side by side with government officials, artists, intellectuals, and social activists. They came not only to witness but to honor, to remember, and to proclaim that these sacred traditions, once carried across the ocean in the hearts of the enslaved, remain alive, unshaken, and firmly attached in the land that received them.
This year’s edition was not just a celebration but a proclamation of survival, strengthened by the recent enactment of Law 14.519/2023 by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a legal recognition of African-diaspora religions in Brazil. It was a night where silence was broken, where faith stood tall against centuries of oppression, where each word spoken and every drumbeat resounded as an affirmation: We are here. We have always been here. We will always be here.
The event, organized by a coalition of religious communities, advocacy groups, and cultural institutions, unfolded like a sacred ritual, blending the divine with the artistic. Drums thundered, calling forth the spirits of old—bàtá, atabaques, and agogôs sang in unison, carrying prayers on their echoes. Dancers became storytellers, their bodies channeling the movements of the Òrìṣà, painting the air with the fire of Ṣàngó, the flowing grace of Ọ̀ṣun, the wisdom of Ọbàtálá, and the unbreakable will of Ògún. Feet struck the floor like raindrops on the earth, hands lifted to the sky as if reaching for the blessings of the Ọ̀rún.
At the heart of the evening was the awards ceremony—a moment of deep gratitude and recognition for those who have held the ancestral wisdom close, shielding it from erasure. Babaláwos, Ìyálòrìṣàs, Bàbálòrìṣàs, researchers, and community leaders took the stage, their work a lighthouse in the fight against religious intolerance and cultural silencing. Their names, spoken aloud before the gathered multitude, became incantations, woven into history.
The awards also honored those who bridge the gap between past and future—educators, social justice warriors, and interfaith advocates who fight not just for recognition, but for a world where African-diaspora religions are embraced as integral parts of Brazil’s identity. The event, free and open to all, welcomed scholars, students, journalists, and seekers of truth, while live broadcasts carried its message far beyond the walls of the auditorium, spreading the call for respect and unity across the digital realm.
The media’s lens captured the urgency of this moment, a battle cry against religious intolerance and a celebration of faith’s enduring power. These traditions are not relics encased in time—they are living, breathing forces, shaping the present and guiding the future.
More than a ceremony, the Ilé Àşé Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Awards became an oath spoken in a thousand voices, a reaffirmation of the sacred paths walked by those who came before. The night was a river of memory and prophecy, flowing from the past into the hands of the next generation, ensuring that the heartbeat of Ifá, Òrìṣà, Candomblé, and Umbanda never fades.
And as the final drumbeats shivered through the air, as the last dancers bowed, drenched in the energy of the night, a truth settled over the gathering like a divine whisper: The legacy of African-diaspora religions is unbreakable. Their wisdom is endless. Their presence is undeniable.
