Candomblé: Sacred Rhythms in Brazil review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month

Flee, an Athens-based archival label, released "Candomblé: Sacred Rhythms in Brazil" this week, featuring field recordings from a Brazilian religious and musical tradition and contemporary remixes. The album showcases ritualistic drumming circles originating in the 19th century among enslaved West Africans, which were used to induce spirit possession. Side one presents 10 ritual compositions recorded in Salvador in the late 1980s, characterized by tape hiss and fragmented yet joyous sounds. Tracks like "Ossaim" offer glimpses of overlapping voices, while "Xangô" features a moving male vocal. The drumming is a central element, with "Ogum" exhibiting clattering, clave-style hits that create infectious movement, and "Entrada dos Orixás" using bells and a mid-tempo swing to evoke undulating waves. These original recordings are juxtaposed with remixes by contemporary artists, transforming the ceremonial music into floor-fillers and sparse baile funk.