lemanjá

lemanjá (or Yemanjá) is the deity of the river that flows into the sea. She is the daughter of Olokun, the orisha king of the oceans. She decides the fate of all those who enter the sea. She is also considered the “Brazilian Aphrodite”, the goddess of love. She is powerful, and is concerned with every aspect of womanhood, fertility and family; she is also the protector of children. 

Iemanjá is celebrated on February 2nd, this year marked 100 years of celebrating in Rio Vermelho, also the first year since Covid that the celebration was held, and it was a lot! A lot of people, a lot of sounds, a lot of everything. The carnival atmosphere made it hard to focus on small ceremonies happening all down the beach. I’ve tried to photograph this ceremony before and haven’t had much luck, perhaps these images are a little closer to show the spirit of the morning.