Exu and Pomba Gira in Brazil’s Popular Imagination

In Brazil, the presence of Exu and Pomba Gira is not confined to terreiros or shrines. They are woven into the very fabric of popular culture, appearing in songs, films, soap operas, and even Carnival parades. Their names and images circulate freely, demonstrating that these spirits are not hidden away but are instead part of the living cultural imagination. This makes them accessible to all, reinforcing the truth that you don’t need initiation to hear their call or to feel their influence. They live in the songs of the people, in the stories on television, and in the rhythm of the drums on the streets.

Music is one of the most visible places where Exu appears. The rapper Baco Exu do Blues has built an entire artistic persona around Exu, borrowing not only the name but also the spirit’s association with rebellion, desire, and communication. His work fuses Afro-Brazilian spirituality with modern social critique, carrying Exu’s voice into contemporary urban soundscapes. At the other end of the spectrum, Anitta’s track Aceita includes direct references to Candomblé and Exu, showing how even Brazil’s biggest pop stars fold these spirits into their music.

Then there is samba — Brazil’s heartbeat. In 2022, the Grande Rio samba school took first place at Carnival with an enredo explicitly dedicated to Exu: Fala, Majeté! Sete Chaves de Exu (“Speak, Majesty! Seven Keys of Exu”). The entire parade was a moving celebration of Exu’s mysteries, with allegories, songs, and costumes that made clear his role as a guardian of the streets, a trickster, and a vital force in Brazilian life. Millions of viewers, both live and on television, witnessed Exu honoured in splendour.

Devotional songs, or pontos cantados, are another powerful example. They are sung in rituals but also spill into popular memory. One verse goes: “Eu vi a lua, clareando a rua… Tinha uma garrafa de marafo, para o senhor Bará tomar” (“I saw the moon, lighting up the street… I had a bottle of cachaça for Mister Bará to drink”). Bará is another face of Exu, here pictured simply as a spirit drinking at night under the moonlight, a scene that could happen in any Brazilian street. Another point for Pomba Gira declares: “Ela é mulher de rua, com seus chinelos de ouro / Sabe como andar, na porta do cabaré” (“She is a woman of the street, with her golden sandals / She knows how to walk, at the door of the cabaret”). These lines show her not as an abstract idea but as a living presence in familiar settings, the cabaret and the street corner.

Film also carries Exu’s image. The martial arts film Besouro (2009) includes a dramatic scene where Exu appears to the protagonist, guiding and testing him. The 2005 documentary Dança das Cabaças – Exu no Brasil explored how Exu is understood and misunderstood, tracing the long history of demonisation by colonial powers while also celebrating the spirit’s resilience and centrality in Afro-Brazilian religion. More recently, Exu and the Universe won Best Brazilian Documentary at the São Paulo International Film Festival, bringing the story of Exu to a new generation. These films show how Exu is not only a figure of private devotion but also a subject of artistic interpretation, intellectual debate, and national pride.

And then there are the telenovelas. In Brazil, soap operas are cultural events watched by millions. They shape the national conversation. Within them, Pomba Gira often appears — sometimes directly, sometimes through allusion. She emerges as a femme fatale, a dangerous seductress, or a powerful woman who refuses to be contained. These portrayals are not always flattering, but they show just how well-known she is. A character may light a candle and whisper her name. A scene may allude to a ritual of love or revenge, and audiences instantly understand who is being referenced. Pomba Gira has become a shorthand for a certain kind of power: unapologetic, erotic, and fearless. She is not an obscure goddess known only to initiates but a household name, instantly recognisable across Brazil.

This cultural presence matters because it shows how deeply embedded these spirits are in the daily lives of Brazilians. They are not owned by a priesthood. They are not limited to the initiated. They belong to the people. Anyone watching Carnival, listening to a samba, or following a soap opera storyline is reminded of Exu and Pomba Gira. They are part of the commons, part of the shared imagination. Their accessibility is their strength, ensuring they remain alive and relevant.

It also challenges outsiders who claim that Exu and Pomba Gira can only be approached through strict ritual channels. Don’t be fooled: initiation is not a requirement for their presence. Across Brazil, ordinary people call upon them every day, whether through song lyrics, whispered prayers, or even conversations sparked by what they’ve seen on television. What matters is not formal membership but respect and sincerity. These spirits are responsive to those who approach with honesty, whether in a terreiro, a living room, or at a street corner.

This is also the spirit in which NA GIRA DO EXU - Invoking the Spirits of Brazilian Quimbanda was written. The book gathers more than three hundred pontos cantados and over a hundred ritual sigils, but more than that, it celebrates the living road of Exu and Pomba Gira as spirits of the people. Like the songs and stories of Brazil, it invites readers to meet them directly, with honesty and reverence.

In the end, the presence of Exu and Pomba Gira in popular culture shows their resilience. Demonised by colonisers, feared by moralists, yet loved by millions, they continue to dance at the edges of Brazilian life and then step boldly into the spotlight. From Carnival floats to pop lyrics, from telenovela scripts to film reels, their names are spoken and sung again and again. They are not obscure. They are not hidden. They are everywhere, answering whoever calls with sincerity. And that is what makes them uncontainable — spirits of the people, alive in the world.


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