Aproximación etnográfica al parentesco en el candomblé: el caso de los nagô de Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil

This article examines the composition of kinship within the Candomblé tradition of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Drawing on an ethnographic approach, it explores how families of saints are formed and understood through the interplay of two central categories: santo (saint), referring to relationships established through ritual, and sangre (blood), referring to biological kinship. The study demonstrates how these two lines—santo y sangre, ritual and blood—are continually interwoven through the ritual practices of Candomblé, forming a relationship marked by distinction rather than opposition. Kinship thus emerges through a dynamic synthesis of ritual and blood ties—a composition that recurs across multiple scales and dimensions of Nagô Candomblé life. The analysis reveals how the santo family—and therefore kinship itself—is configured as an expansive network linking houses, individuals, deities, and ancestors. The discussion engages with anthropological debates on African diasporic religions and contemporary kinship theories, aiming to bridge these fields through ethnographic inquiry. In doing so, it offers new reflections on the forms of kinship generated through ritual, challenging traditional binaries in kinship studies—such as family vs. ritual, biology vs. symbolism, the given vs. the made, and substance vs. meaning.