Ilu Axé live at SambaMassive, Bristol 2013

Ilu live. Oxala Guiro.

Ilu live. Yemanja.

Ilu live. Xango.

Ilu live. Oxossi Funk Axé.

Ilu live. Oya.

Ilu live. Xango With Full Intro

Oxum Ijexa.

Songs and rhythms for Xango arranged for Bloco Ilu Axé by Jon Hardeman and Katherine Sowerby. Basic rhythm track played by members of Ilu Axé. Lead vocal, all other drums and percussion, recording, editing and musical arrangements by Jon Hardeman. Chorus by Jon Hardeman and Coro Ilu Axé.


Xango

Songs and rhythms for Oya arranged for Bloco Ilu Axé by Jon Hardeman. Basic rhythm track played by members of Ilu Axé. Lead vocal, all other drums and percussion, recording, editing and musical arrangements by Jon Hardeman. Chorus by Coro Ilu Axé.

A Samba-Reggae for Obaluaiyé. Rhythms written and arranged for Bloco Ilu Axé by Katherine Sowerby and Jon Hardeman. Songs written and arranged by Jon Hardeman, apart from 'Opanijé' - a traditional song for Obaluaiyé, here sung by Kathryn Shaw. 
Basic rhythm track played by members of Ilu Axé. Lead vocal, all other drums and percussion, recording, editing and musical arrangements by Jon Hardeman. Chorus by Jon Hardeman and Coro Ilu Axé.

Obaluaiyé

An Afro-Samba/Samba-Reggae for Nana Buruku, the oldest of all the Orixas.
Candomblé songs arranged by Jon Hardeman, original songs/chants written and arranged by JH. Rhythm written/arranged by Katherine Sowerby and JH.
Basic track played by Ilu Axé (see profile section for players).
Atabaques, Berimbaus and Timbas, lead vocal, recording, editing and production by JH. Chorus Kathryn Shaw and JH.

Nana

A Reggae Samba for Yemanja, the nurturing mother Orixa. The track also sings for 'Ossain', the forest dwelling master of herbs and herbal remedies
Candomblé songs arranged by Jon Hardeman.
All instruments (except electric guitar by Christian de Juan), recording, editing and production by Jon Hardeman.

Yemanja and Ossain

Oxum, one of the water deities. This brief introduction was played and produced by Jon Hardeman.

Oxum prelude

Oxossi, the hunter (O Cacador), by Jon Hardeman. Chorus vocals  - Coro Ilu Axé.

'O Caçador', Oxossi (traditional)

Ilu Axé

Homenagens aos Orixás, homenagens aos nossos irmãos e irmãs, homagens da Terra, homenagens ao tambor.

Samba-Reggae 
Afro-Samba 
Candomblé

UK based Afro-Brazilian drums, songs, dance.

Our name (pronounced Eeeloo Ashay); An 'Ilu' is a consecrated Atabaque, a specific drum used in the rituals of the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé, it’s also the name of the rhythm played exclusively for the female warrior deity 'Oya', the bringer of tempests, the bringer of change.
'Axé' is the name given to the fluid life force energy present in all things animate and inanimate, as well as in all actions and ideas.
The name is an expression and a recognition of the power of positive energy, of creativity and of coming together to make and perform music and dance. It's also and importantly an homage to the culture, history, stories and people of Candomblé.

The tracks here, written and/or arranged by Musical Directors Jon Hardeman and Katherine Sowerby, are homages to the roots and culture of Samba-Reggae and Afoxé, to Candomblé and the deities known as Orixas. www.jonhardeman.com /candomblé. 

There are seven tracks, representing and named after seven Orixas from the pantheon of sixteen or so present in Afro-Brazilian Candomblé. The tracks use traditional Candomblé songs/ryhthms and original chants and are arranged for Ilu Axé (Bloco Ilu Axé and Coro Ilu Axé) by Jon. 

The tracks/Orixas are: 

1. Oxossi - Forests and all that live from there. Oxossi is a hunter, the deity of abundance and the arts, he's also the guardian of the energy of life and consciousness, known as Axé. 
2. Oxum - Waterfalls and fresh water, Oxum is sweetness and sensuality on the surface, but sheer purpose, no compromise and steely determination underneath, she is seduction, she is opposites.
3. Yemanja and Ossain - Yemanja is the Oceans, the tie between mother and child, between land and land, people and people, past and present, present and future. Ossain is the forest dwelling master of herbs and herbal/curative remedies. 
4. Nana - Birth and beginnings, 
symbolised by the mixing of water and earth. Nana is the great Mother of all things.
5. Obaluaiyé - From the heat at the centre, to the crust and all it carries and bears, this with the light of the sun, the home we know as Earth, this is Obaluaiyé. He's also the deity of disease and preventative remedies.
6. Oya - The great wind and tempest, the bringer of change, the clearer of dead things.
7. Xango - The warrior known as fire. 

Songs and rhythms in Track1 (O Caçador) traditional Candomblé de Ketu.
Songs in Track 2 (Oxum Prelude), traditional Candomblé songs.
Songs in Track 3 (Yemanja and Ossain), traditional Candomblé chants for Yemanja and Ossain, arranged by JH. 
Songs in Track 4 (Nana); Candomblé songs and original chants arranged/written by JH.
Songs in Track 5 (Obaluaiyé) written and arranged by JH, except 'Opanijé Atoto' (traditional) arranged by JH and sung by Kathryn Shaw. There's an Afoxé section in this piece, which I've included even though Obaluaiyé (Omolu) isn't celebrated in the Ijexa (Afoxé) form of Candomblé. 
Tracks 6 and 7 (Oya and Xango), songs (traditional) arranged by JH.

All instruments and lead vocal in O Caçador by JH.
All instruments and lead vocal in Oxum Prelude by JH.
All instruments in Yemanja and Ossain by JH, except electric guitar by Christian de Juan.
Ilu Axé players for Nana, Obaluaiyé, Oya and Xango: Surdos - Kathryn Sowerby, Kathy Wyatt, Liz Awad, Angelis Fiallo Montero, Emmeline Dacke, Tim Barton and Alart Henry.
Repeniques - Kathryn Shaw, Jackson Lapes and Becky Borrill.
Caixas - Dave Nicholson.
The chorus (Coro Ilu Axé) are Jenny Darwin, Kathryn Shaw, Robyn Moran, John Packer and JH.
All other drums and percussion - timbas, Atabaques, berimbau, agogo bells, Gan, guiro, chekere and other percussion, lead vocals and voice effects by JH. 

All recording, editing and mixing by JH.

More music by Jon Hardeman can be found on the soundcloud page: http://soundcloud.com/jonhardeman7
Profile photograph 'Gifts to the Ocean' by Jon Hardeman - more photographic work here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonhardeman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonhardeman</a>/
Email: <a href="mailto:jon.hardeman@gmail.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">jon.hardeman@gmail.com</a>

Ilu Axé logo designed and created by Paul Baxter (http://www.sambasupplies.com/).

Axé.

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