Capoeira
In 1500’s the Portuguese, led by explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral, arrived in Brazil. In order to furnish the Portuguese with slave labor for sugarcane and cotton, they began to import slave labor from Africa. The Africans first arrived by the hundreds and later by the thousands (approximately four million in total).The major African groups in the slave population were the Sudanese group, the Mohammedanized Guinea-Sudanese group, and the “Bantu” group.
The Bantu groups are believed to have been the foundation for the birth of Capoeira. This question has never been confidently answered but it is known that the Bantu group brought with them, from Africa, their culture. Their culture was not stored away in books and museums but rather in the body, mind, heart and soul. A culture that was transmitted from father to son throughout generations.
When the Dutch lashed out against the Portuguese colony attempting to gain their freedom the security of the plantations and towns were weakened. The slaves took advantage of this opportunity and fled into the forests in search of places in which to hide and survive. After escaping many founded independent villages called Quilombos.
The Quilombos were very important to evolution of Capoeira. There were at least ten major Quilombos. Because of the constant threat of expeditions sent to extinguish them, Capoeira developed its structure as a fight in the Quilombos. Capoeira was started as a rudimentary fighting style created in the slaves’ quarters and perhaps would not have developed further if left only to that environment. In 1892, Capoeira and other forms of African cultural expression were outlawed by the Portuguese King Dom Joao VI and his court, who arrived in 1808.
Why was Capoeira prohibited? There were many motives. One of the main reasons is Capoeira created small, cohesive groups. It also created dangerous and agile fighters. Sometimes the slaves would injure themselves during the Capoeira, which was not desirable from an economical point of view. The masters and overseers were probably not as conscious as the King and his intellectuals of his court of all of these motives, but intuitively knew something wasn’t right.
It must be stressed that there are many other theories attempting to explain the exact origins of Capoeira. The best known theory is Capoeira was a fight that was disguised as a dance so that it could be practiced unbeknownst to the white slave owners. But, this seems unlikely because, around 1814, when African culture began to be repressed, other forms of African dancing suffered restriction along with Capoeira, so there was no sense in disguising Capoeira as a dance.
With the signing of the Golden Law in 1888, which abolished slavery, the newly freed slaves had difficulty finding a place for themselves in society. The Capoeirista (practitioner of Capoeira) quickly descended into criminality and Capoeira along with him. In Rio de Janiero, Capoeira was used by the criminal gangs to terrorize the population. The club, the dagger, and the switchblade were used to complement the damage done by various Capoeira moves.
In Bahia however, Capoeira continued to develop into a ritual-dance-fight-game, and the Berimbau began to be an indispensable instrument used to command the Rodas (actual sessions of Capoeira games). Rodas always took place in hidden locales since the practice of Capoeira had already been outlawed by the first constitution of the Brazilian Republic in 1892.
In the Twentieth Century there were two central figures in Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha. In the history of Capoeira these two people, and the mystery that surrounds them, are the mythical ancestors of all Capoeira players. Much of what a modern Capoeira player tries to be is due to what these men were or represented. Even though they were not the first, they are known as the most prominent figures associated with Capoeira today.
In 1932 in Salvador, Mestre Bimba (Manuel dos Reis Machado) opened the first Capoeira Academy. He started teaching Capoeira Regional; faster and more aggressive than traditional Capoeira Angola style. This was made possible by nationalistic policies of Getulio Vargas, who wanted to promote Capoeira as a Brazilian sport. Although Bimba opened his school in 1932, the official recognition only came about in 1937, when it was officially registered. It must be noted that the Getulio Vargas government permitted the practice of Capoeira, but only in enclosed areas that were registered with the police. With the opening of Bimba’s Academy a new era in the history of Capoeira began, as the game was taught to the children of the upper classes of Salvador. Bimba was active in Capoeira his whole life. He was even planning to give a Capoeira demonstration on the day he died, February 5, 1974.
In 1941, Capoeira’s other influential figure, Mestre Pastinha (Vincente Ferreira Pastinha) opened his Capoeira Angola school. For the first time, Capoeira began to be taught and practiced openly in a formal setting. He became known as the “Philosopher of Capoeira”. Unfortunately, government authorities confiscated his academy while trying to reform the area. Although he was promised a new one, the government never came through. He died bind and almost abandoned in 1981 at the age of ninety-two.
In 1974 Capoeira was recognized as the national sport of Brazil, and the creation of a National Federation of Capoeira resulted. It was formed to govern, promote, and coordinate Capoeira throughout Brazil. Today Capoeira is practiced with musicians playing instruments such as the Berimbau (one string, bow type instrument), Atabaque (congo), Pandeiro (tambourine), and Agogo (bell). They are based at the foot (pe’ da) of the circle (Roda).This Roda is made up of participants (Capoeiristas or players) crouching down. The musicians and/or players may be singing a song in Portuguese. Players enter the game from the pe’da roda (foot of the circle), usually with a cartwheel (au). Once in the circle the two players interact with a series of jumps, kicks, flips, hand and headstands and other ritualistic moves. Games can be friendly or dangerous. The music plays a big part in the feel of the game. The type of game to be played (fast or slow, friendly or tough) depends upon the rhythm being played and the content of the lyrics.
The combination of gymnastics, dance, and Martial Arts known as Capoeira is expanding beyond the borders of Brazil and appealing to many people for many different reasons. As a result it is growing rapidly in North America and around the world.
