A celebration of memory and ancestry through Samba and its Origins:

This is the concept of the Canjerê do Amaro project.

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What is Canjerê or Cangerê?

Gathering of people for rituals of Afro-Brazilian religions. You can designate the place where such a meeting will take place.

Cangerê:

A word of probably Bantu origin, cangerê is a term that can be used to refer to public ceremonies in Afro-Brazilian terreiros.

It can also have other meanings:

• Public ceremonies in Afro-Brazilian terreiros

• Ritual dances performed in the terreiros

• A version from Maranhão, linked to the Afro-Brazilian religion Tambo de Mina, similar to Candomblé de Caboclo.

• Cute exu

• Black magic work

This last meaning is obviously the result of the religious prejudice of Brazilian society, which relates everything that comes from African-based religions to “black magic” and evil.

Some variations include cangerê, canjirê, conjerê, cajerê and jarê.

Etymology

According to Câmara Cascudo, it may come from the kimbundu kanzere (little house or hut).

References

Umbanda Dictionary – Altair Pinto – Editora Eco

Dictionary of Brazilian Folklore – Luís da Câmara Cascudo – Ediouro

Michaelis Dictionary

Handbook of the Priestly Training Course of the Umbanda Federation of Grande ABC

What is Umbanda – II – Padrinho Juruá – Author’s Edition

Glossary of Presumed Brazilian Bantuisms – Geralda de Lima V. Angenot, Jean-Pierre Angenot and Jacky Maniacky – 2013