History of Capoeira
Capoeira emerged in Brazilian colonial times, mostly in the slave-holding coastal cities. In the seventeenth century, the Portuguese brought people from Angola, then a Portuguese colony, to enslave in Brazil. The people of Angola had a ritual called n’golo in celebration of men entering adulthood. In English, the term means “zebra,” and it was said that young people would imitate male zebras in the way they pursued females.
These rituals were forbidden in Brazil at the time, but the Angolans considered them a game. Before long, they had added new components to n’golo. When Angolan slaves ran away, they would hide in the local vegetation, called Capoeira in Portuguese. The Brazilians would send people to capture them, but the slaves attacked these individuals with their martial-art-style n’golo movements from inside the vegetation. When the Brazilians returned without the slaves, they claimed that they had been attacked on the Capoeira. That is how the practice got its name.
After some time, the practice of Capoeira was forbidden, so the Angolan slaves added instruments and songs to disguise the ritual, transforming it into a dance.
Then, after the abolishment of slavery, Capoeira was again deemed criminal when Master Bimba, a Salvadoran fighter, brought Capoeira into mainstream Brazilian culture. The game remained illegal from 1890 to 1940.
Detailed Description of Capoeira
Since 2008, UNESCO has recognized Capoeira as an “intangible cultural heritage.” The game is typically played in the city of Salvador, located in the state of Bahia. Black culture is prominent in Bahia, which is where most Brazilian traditional centers are located.
Although Capoeira is considered a fight, there is no physical contact between the players. There are no winners or losers in the game, and the fight simply follows the rhythm of the drums and a unique instrument called the berimbau. Maybe that is why Capoeira is often confused for a dance.
The conga drum is the most important instrument in Capoeira circles, and rhythm is a major component of the game. In fact, drums serve many purposes for those who participate in Capoeira. During the years it was considered a crime, drummers would warn participants to abandon the ritual by playing a unique beat called a cavalry.
Now there are two primary forms of Capoeira. One is called Capoeira Angola, and Master Pastinha is the force behind this version. This kind of Capoeira is more traditional and closer to the way the slaves played the game. It maintains traditions such as African rituals and more rhythmic music. Also, with more complex movements, this type of Capoeira is considered both slower-paced and harder, with traces of dissimulation, theatricality and maliciousness.
The other form of Capoeira is the Regional Capoeira. This version was developed by Master Bimba, who methodized the Capoeira by developing teaching sequences for the game. Bimba called his Capoeira “Bahia’s regional fight,” which accounts for how the Regional Capoeira got its name. His objective was to add structure to the game by establishing specific movements. By methodizing the Capoeira, Master Bimba helped develop a hierarchy among participants, measuring players’ knowledge based on the colour of their cords.
Rules of Capoeira
As far as the rules of Capoeira go, participants must stay in a circle. Both musicians and fighters form the Capoeira circle, where two people enter to play. The objective is for these two players to synchronize their movements, simulating a fight without touching the opponent.
The main fighters must introduce themselves before they begin the game. Then, after a period of confrontation, anyone in the circle can ask a player to leave, to ensure all participants have a chance to enter the ring.
The players forming the circle clap their hands to the beat of the drums and sing songs with lyrics about the struggles of the black population. Typically, the instruments playing in a Capoeira circle include the conga drum; the berimbau, a standard string instrument; the caxixi, a rattle of sorts; the pandeiro, a tambourine; and the reco-reco, a percussion instrument.
In turn, there are six types of blows in Capoeira. These blows include mortals, or the opponent’s possible death; traumatizing blows, which involve extensive damage to the opponent; unbalancing blows, which knock the opponent down; dodges, or defense from the opponent’s attacks; escapes, which escalate the action; and flourishes, which add beauty to the game and help to confuse the enemy.
Moreover, that is Capoeira, a unique Brazilian game of “world heritage” status, according to UNESCO. A fixture at festivals and competitions in Brazil — specifically in the state of Bahia — this combination of combat and dance pays tribute to the nation’s colonial history.
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