Claudia Leitte responds to accusations of religious racism: “Very serious matter”

Claudia Leitte responds to accusations of religious racism: “Very serious matter”


The singer was reported to the Public Prosecutor after changing the lyrics of a song that mentions Iemanjá

Claudia Leitte’s statements

Claudia Leitte publicly addressed accusations of religious racism for the first time this Monday (29/12). The artist was reported to the Public Prosecutor of Bahia (MP-BA) for having replaced the name of Iemanjá, one of the main Orishas of religions of African origin, with the term “King Yeshua” in an extract of the song “Caranguejo”.

During a press conference held before her performance at the Virada Salvador Festival, Claudia stated that “this question [racismo] It’s a very serious issue.” In response to the allegations, the singer stressed the importance of addressing the topic in depth. “From my position of privilege, racism is an issue to be discussed very seriously, not so superficially ” he said.

He also emphasized values ​​such as respect and integrity. “I really value respect, solidarity, integrity. We cannot negotiate these values ​​in any way, nor put them like this, thrown to the Internet court. That’s all,” he concluded.

Report to the Public Prosecutor

The complaint was filed by yalorixá Jaciara Ribeiro and the Institute for the Defense of the Rights of Afro-Brazilian Religions (Idafro). The Public Prosecutor informs, in a statement, that it has opened an investigation to ascertain whether there is religious racism “consisting in the violation of cultural heritage and the rights of religious communities of African origin, without prejudice to any criminal liability”.

According to the complaint, the replacement of Iemanjá’s name in the song “Caranguejo” decontextualizes the work and reflects contempt and hostility towards Afro-Brazilian religions. The text claims that the Festa de Iemanjá, depicted in the original text, and Orixá itself are cultural assets protected by law, and the alteration of the music can be interpreted as an attack.

Context of changes in music

Videos posted on the Internet show Claudia Leitte singing the edited version of the song “Caranguejo”, where the mention of Iemanjá was replaced by “King Yeshua”, which means Jesus in Hebrew. The complaint highlights that the change not only distorts the original context of the work, but also offends religious communities by ignoring the cultural and spiritual importance of Iemanjá.

After the original complaint, Claudia Leitte sang the song again with the verse change a second time on Sunday (29/12), during the pre-New Year in Recife. The case remains under investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the investigation will evaluate the possible legal implications arising from the change in music.

Source: Terra

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