Memories of axé: the journey of Ilê Axé Iyá Já Funké Neto

Abstract

This interview aims to document and analyze the historical and spiritual journey of Ilê Axé Iyá Já Funké Neto, founded by Nilza Marques de Santana under the blessings of Yemanjá in 2003, in Dias d’Ávila, a municipality in the metropolitan region of Salvador, Brazil. As heir to the legacy of Ilê Axé Iyá Já Funké Filho, the terreiro has become a vital center for the preservation of Ketu nation’s cultural and religious traditions. The interview explores the spiritual obligations and rituals carried out over the years, with emphasis on the 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21-year cycles that reinforce the commitment to the Orixá and ancestral lineage. It also highlights the role of family succession in the leadership of the terreiro and the continuity of sacred knowledge. The contribution of other Axé houses, such as Mansu Banzangola and Terreiro Umila, is noted as essential in maintaining Candomblé’s values and rituals. Yalorixá Nilza Marques received her spiritual initiation in Ilê Axé Iyá Já Funké Filho, where she learned the Ketu Candomblé foundations, which she continues to uphold and transmit in her own terreiro, preserving Afro-Brazilian cultural resistance and spiritual heritage.