Quimbanda

Quimbanda, also spelled Kimbanda (Portuguese pronunciation: [kĩˈbɐ̃dɐ]), is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced primarily in the urban city centers of Brazil. Quimbanda focuses on male spirits called exús as well as their female counterparts, pomba giras. Pomba giras are often regarded as the spirits of deceased women who worked as prostitutes or in other positions traditionally considered immoral in Catholic Brazilian society. Quimbanda's practices are often focused on worldly success regarding money and sex. A range of Afro-Brazilian religions emerged in Brazil, often labelled together under the term Macumba, which often carried negative connotations. Historically, the term Quimbanda has been used by practitioners of Umbanda, a religion established in Brazil during the 1920s, to characterise the religious practices that they opposed. Quimbanda thus served as a mirror image for Umbandistas. By the early 21st century, Quimbanda had also spread to North America.