Mestre Didi: Great Afro-Brazilian Artist and Priest Dead at 95

Deoscoredes Maximiliano dos Santos, Mestre Didi died this morning at age 95. Master, internationally renowned artist and spiritual leader of Ilê Asipá.

The body of Alapini (High Priest) of the Cult of Egungun being veiled in the Terrero Ilê Asipá, located in Piata and founded by him on December 2, 1980, his birthday. Mestre Didi, primarily known for his beautiful sculptures, was the son of Mãe Maria, one of the main holy mothers of the Ile Axe Opo Afonjá. Burial will be on the 17h of October, in Jardim da Saudade.

Deoscóredes Maximiliano dos Santos ( Salvador de todos os santos, Bahia, Brasil, December 2, 1917 - October 6, 2013 ) was a writer, and artist of international repute and an important Afro-Brazilian priest of the Egungun tradition He was popularly known as Mestre Didi.


"Master Didi is a priest-artist. His expression works through aesthic creation , one rooted in intimacy with the existential universe where African ancestry and worldview merge with the life experienced in Bahia. Completely integrated into the Nago universe of Yoruban origin, he reveals in his works an inspiration of mythical proportions. He uses a Nagô visual language with which he express the experience of the sacred, which is manifested by a symbology of a formal aesthetic character." Juana Elbein dos Santos.

His Personal and Religious Life:

His father Arsenio dos Santos, who belonged to the "elite" class of tailors in Bahia when Mestre Didi was born, would later move to the Rio de Janeiro at the time there was a great migration from Bahia to the then capital of Brazil.

His mother Maria Bibiana do Espirito Santo, better known as Mãe Senhora (Lady Mother) was a descendant of the traditional family Asipa , originating in Oyo and Ketu, important cities of the Yoruba empire in what is now modern day Nigeria . His great-great grandfather, Sra.
Marcelina da Silva, Oba Tossi, was a founder of the first house of the Nago tradition of Candomble in Bahia , the Ile Ase Aira Intile afterwards known as Iya Ile Nassô. His wife Juana Elbein dos Santos , an anthropologist, was his companion in all his journeys overseas, to the countries of Africa , Europe and the rest of the Americas, which were of great importance for their exchanges and experiences that contributed significantly to the unfolding institutional struggle of the African-Brazilian tradition and fight for respect for minority rights and identity. His daughter Inaicyra Falcão dos Santos, an opera singer, graduated in dance by the Federal University of Bahia , a professor, researcher of African-Brazilian traditions, education, and the performing arts in the Department of Dance Art at Unicamp .

Eugenia Ana dos Santos, Mãe Aninha treated Didi like she was his grandmother, was initiated in Orixá religion and gave him the title of Assogba , High Priest of the Cult of Babalu Aye .Arsenio Ferreira dos Santos was the nephew of Theodore Mark Pimentel, Alapini the first Mestre Didi in the Egungun Cult, the male ancestor tradition, with origins in Oyo , one of the great city states of the Yoruba.

Arsenio Ferreira dos Santos continued the initiations of Didi, confirming him with the title Ojé Korikowe Olukotun. LaterDidi received the title of Alapini, highest rank in the Egungun society, in Ilê Agboula and one year later in 1980 he founded Ilê Asipa onde for the service of Baba Olukotun and other Eguns of the ancient tradition.

In September 1970, not finding anyone in Brazil who could make his confirmation of Balé Xangô, he went to Oyo and performed the rituals in the city which originated the cult of Shango. The ceremony was performed by Balé Sàngó and the Otun Balé of Xangô de Oyo.

His Art and Writing Career:

As a sculptor, writer, essayist and curator, Deoscoredes Maximiliano dos Santos or Mestre Didi was a towering representative of Afro-Brazilian culture.

The vision of Bahia of Master Didi was effectively transmitted via an extensive production of sculptures - which earned him international recognition as an avant-garde artist. Some of his  works are on permanent display at the Picasso Museum in Paris, the MAM of Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, and at several other foreign museums, including in the USA.

Their shapes made  with beads, shells, lace and leather palm leaves are inspired by myths, legends and objects used in the Orixá religion. His initiation - to art and religion - began when he was a boy of only 8. He began making wooden carvings, then came the "Lexus" carved in cement and clay. At age 29 he published his first book, Yorubá Tal Qual se Fala - with a foreword by Jorge Amado and graphics by Carybé.  20 Other books followed, among them stories and the tales of the religious temples of the African tradition of Bahia. But Mestre Didi always judged the written word inadequate in imparting knowledge. In the early 80s Mestre Didi ran a community center where he wrote and staged plays, taught singing, dancing, makeup and the arts to children. He believed there was no dichotomy between the arts, and that all the stories of his people were Afro-Brazilian songs. They were meant to be heard, sung and danced. This is why Master Didi was also recognized as a multifaceted artist, a Renaissance man of Afro-Brazilian culture.  He made the world a richer place for us all!

http://www.mestredidi.org/

The Modern Rite and the Grande Oriente do Brasil

Although the first Masonic Lodge in Brazilian territorial waters emerged in Bahia in 1797 on a French frigate, the first Regular Lodge of Brazil was named "Reunion" (Meeting) , founded in 1801 in Rio de Janeiro, driven by an ideology grounded in both political and social purposes. This lodge was affiliated to the Orient du Ile de France, with its representative, Chevalier Laurent. There is evidence of lodges founded by brothers previously inspired by the spirit of freedom, enlightenment and the French Revolution.
The Grande Oriente do Brasil was founded on June 17, 1822 under the auspices of the Modern Rite, by the Adonhiramite fraternity, who were the only existing Masons at the time in Brazil. This  is recorded in the minutes of the meeting of 12 July (fifth session of the Grand Orient of Brazil) which contains the proposal for increasing the degree of Chosen Secret for several Brothers, or Grade 4, I Order of Wisdom, the Modern Rite.
In addition, the Act cites the adoption of the "seven degrees of Masonry," or, the Modern Rite, adopted in Brazil for both the Grand Orient Lusitano as in the Grand Orient of France, as the Official Rite.
In the minutes of July 23 (seventh session of the Grand Orient), again cited the award of the Degree of Secret Elected  (Secrète Élus ) to several brothers, also citing the same report, the granting of "Rosicrucian Degree" the Grand Master of Masonry Brazilian (maximum degree of Freemasonry at the time).
The minutes of the meeting of August 5, 1822,  again refer to the "Seven Degrees of Masonry." In that act resolves to  grant H. •. Hippolito de Mendonça the office of delegate to London, in charge of the acquiring for the Grand Orient Brasílico (its name until 1831) recognition from the Grand Lodge of London, sending all the documents and instructions concerning the "System of Seven Masonic Degrees", ie Official documents of the Grand Orient Brasílico.
In the minutes of meeting of September 28, 1822, it says that the Grand Master received the Degree of Knight of the East (6th grade) and was to be receive the Rosicrucian (7th Grade) at the next meeting, showing without a doubt, that the sequence of degrees practiced in the Grand Orient of Brazil was, that of the Modern Rite.
The Masonic signature of Don Pedro I. Masonic •. P: •. M. •. R. •. +, Ie Irmão Pedro, Mason Rose Cross, indicates that the Emperor  Pedro held the seventh grade-Modern Rite, Rosicrucian Knight having been elevated to the Grand Master of the Grand Orient.
The first ritual used by the Grand Orient of Brazil in the year of its foundation (1822) at which time it was called the Grand Orient Brasiliano (and Grande Oriente Brasílico (fifth record) eventually assuming its current name of the Grand Orient of Brazil was the Modern Rite.
Due to political instability after the newly acquired independence and rivalries between Jose Bonifacio and Joaquim Gonçalves,  the Emperor Pedro I ordered the suspension of all fraternal organizations on October 25, 1822 . After the abdication of Don Pedro on April 7, 1831, the work of the Grand Orient of Brazil re-emerged from the shadows with renewed strength and vigor  and has not been shuttered since. The Grand Orient of Brazil, refurbished, Modern Rite and adopted the constitution of the Grand Orient of France, 1826 adapted by Gonçalves Ledo, and taking this as Rite Rite Officer and the work of its Senior Corps.
On June 23, 1892, imitating the reform of the Grand Orient of France in 1877 and the Grand Orient of Belgium in 1872, removed from the rituals the requirement of invocating the Great Architect of the Universe.

The Modern Rite, with its call for social justice proclaimed the equality of races, culminating in the liberation of slaves in Brazil. It was the Modern Rite that fought and won the supremacy of civil over religious power and freedom of religion.The Modern Rite of Freemasonry represents a  Brazilian heritage and are an essential part of Brazilian national history.
The Modern Rite does not support limiting the scope of reason, and thus disapproves of dogmatism and ideological impositions. Being rational, it calls for the search for truth even though truth may be temporary and constantly changing.
The philosophy of the Rite opposes any form of discrimination. The absence of women in the Grande Orient du Brasil is due to the implementation of treaties and not the nature of the rite.

Brief History of the Modern Rite Supreme Council

The Most Powerful and Sublime Grand Chapter of Modern Rite in Brazil was founded by Manoel Joaquim Menezes, E. 1842, •. V. •. with the title of Grand Chapter of Blue Rites.
He was accepted and recognized as Grand Chief of the Modern Rite Office in Brazil by the Grand Orient of Brazil.
As of November 25, 1874, the Supreme Council began to operate under the name Grand Chapter of Modern or French Rite.
The designation of Very Powerful and Sublime Grand Chapter of Modern Rite for Brazil was adopted on March 9, 1953.
On June 7, 1976 it was renamed the Modern Rite Supreme Council for Brazil.
Finally, in 1992, the 150th anniversary of its foundation, and by virtue of being the only exisiing Head of Modern Rite Office for all grades continuously practicing universal Freemasonry, it was renamed the Supreme Council of the Modern Rite.
Remember that the Grand Chapitre Français received in 1989 the Patent for the Orders of Wisdom from the hands of the Supreme Council of the Modern Rite of Brazil.

The structure of work consisted of 7 Modern Rite Degrees (3 symbolic degrees and the Four Orders of Wisdom) until 1999. In that year was activated using an unquestionable legitimacy, Order V° with two new grades 8 and 9:

5 th Order - Grade 8 - Knight of the White Eagle and Black Knight Kadosh Philosophical, Inspector of the Rite.
Order 5 th - 9 th Grade - Knight Grand Inspector Wisdom-Rite.

It is believed that there was a time in Portugal when a Grade 8 (Kadosh Perfect Initiate) and even a Grade 9 (Grand Inspector) was worked.
Anyway, the implementation of Order V derived from those contemplated in the Regulations of the Grand Chapitre Général France, 1784 Order with respect to V, is varied according to the various bodies of Advanced Modern Rite degrees today, but is absolutely legitimate and use in spite of its formal diversity.

The first 3 Symbolic Degrees meet in Lodges affiliated with the Lodges (in this case the Grand Orient of Brazil)

For so-called Philosophical Degrees
Grades 4 to 7 (I to IV Order: Chosen, Elected Scottish Knight of the East, Rose-Cross Knight) meet in the Regional Chapter called Sublime.
Grade 8 (V Order) meets in the Great State Council Kadosh.
And Grade 9 (V Order) meets in the Modern Rite Supreme Council, which has national jurisdiction over all philosophical degrees.

At the level of equivalence, for Brazil, the Grade 8 corresponds to 30 of the AASR and grade 9 is 33.

Gracias a Joaquim Villalta

Odunde 2012

What is the ODUNDE festival?

 ODUNDE attracts UP TO 500,000 people annually and is one of the largest community- based street  festivals held in the United States. The festival, whose concept originates from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa, celebrates the coming of another year for African Americans and Africanized people around the world.  It is an occasion highlighted by a colorful procession from  23rd and South Streets to the Schuylkill River where an offering of  fruit and flowers is made to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river.  ODUNDE is also known for its authentic African  marketplace featuring vendors from around the  world selling merchandise  from many African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil.

       

Each year, the second Sunday in June, ODUNDE, one of the nations oldest African American street festivals takes place.  ODUNDE will be celebrating its 37TH year in its traditional south Philadelphia location near 23rd and South streets. The festival started in 1975 with a $100.00 grant and neighbors from Fernandez's South Philadelphia community.  In two years the ODUNDE Festival exploded.  The eclectic mix of vendors, entertainment and music started to draw people from around and beyond the region and each year continues to be no different.  


ODUNDE is not only one of the nation's oldest African American street festivals, it is one of the nation's largest street festivals of any kind.  The area of the festival, including the hundreds of vendors covers over 12 city blocks. The attendees come not only from Philadelphia and the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, but fully a third of the attendees come from further away. It is phenomenal. This year there will be a special emphasis on events and entertainment connected with Bahia, Brazil. 

Special Events include: Coffee Tasting next week at Reading Terminal Market...Coffee from Bahia, and AMMA choclate...organic choclate from Bahia... In honor of 100 years of Jorge Amado who wrote about coffee, "numa xicara de cafe, pode-se colocar a beleza do mundo. Numa xicara de cafe, pode -se sentir o sabor amargo e doce da vida ... in a cup of coffee, one can put all the beauty in the world...in a cup of coffee, one can feel the bitter and sweet taste of life. " Salve Jorge....June 7th..come have coffee.

Special Thanks to Dr. Ken Dossar, Suzana Silva, and Julio Casoy whose hard work helped to bring many Brazilian dignitaries and FIFA World Cup officials to the City of Philadelphia this year!!!!