Famous Yoruba Orisa worshiper Mãe Carmen,98 dies in El Salvador

By Samuel Ogunsona

Iyalorisa Mãe Carmen, one of the main figures of the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé Yoruba religion has passed away on the morning of a day after Chrismas.

He died in Salvador, Bahia.

She was 98 years old and had been hospitalized at Hospital Português due to complications from a severe flu.

Born in 1926, Mãe Carmen was initiated into Candomblé at the age of seven and dedicated her life to the religion.

She became the fifth iyalorixá of the Terreiro do Gantois in 2002, a position she held for over two decades. During her tenure, she led the institution with quiet strength and deep respect for tradition.

Mãe Carmen was recognized for her cultural and spiritual contributions to Brazil, receiving several honors from cultural institutions and public authorities.

Her legacy lives on through the continuity of rituals and the memory of the people she touched.

The Terreiro do Gantois, founded in 1849, is one of the most important Candomblé centers in Brazil and preserves the Ketu-Yorùbá tradition.

Under Mãe Carmen’s leadership, the terreiro became a spiritual refuge and a symbol of Afro-Brazilian cultural resistance.

Mãe Carmen’s passing represents a significant loss for the Candomblé community and all who knew her. However, her axé lives on, sustained by the continuity of rituals and the memory of her life dedicated to faith and ancestry.