However, the origin of the Brazilian martial arts-dance form known
as Capoeira is the subject of heated debate. There are those who adhere
to the belief that Capoeira originated in Africa and was transported
along with the slaves when they were brought to Brazil. Many provided
evidence of a ritual fight/dance called N'golo from Southern Angola as proof that it did exist in martial form before it reached Brazil.
Another combat dance is
Danymé (also called
Ladja), from the Caribbean island of Martinique.
As in the Brazilian form, there is a ring of spectators, and each
contestant enters the circle, moving in a counterclockwise direction
and dancing toward the drummers. This move, called Kouwi Lawon, or
"Circular Run" in creole, is an exact parallel to the capoeira
interlude called dá volta ao mundo, or "take a turn around the world."
Once the Danmyé begins, the contestants' movements are mirrored in the
music. Some superb examples of danmyé drumming were recorded by Alan Lomax in the early 1960s.
In Cuba, with its wealth of Kongo-inspiried music and dance, there was a mock-combat dance called Mani. It was performed to the sound of yuka drums, the precursors of modern conga drums and rumba. A dancer (manisero)
would stand in the middle of a ring of spectator-participants, and
moving to the sound of the songs and drums, would attempt to knock down
someone in the circle. Some of the manisero's moves and kicks were
comparable to those of Brazilian capoeira, including its basic
leg-sweep (rasteira), which also occurs in samba duro, a dance found in Salvador.
Exactly as in Martinique, the Cuban master drummer's patterns would
mirror the contestants' actions, and supply accents to accompany
certain blows. Some of these forms are known only to a handful of
ethnographers and none has taken root the way capoeira has in Brazil.
In addition to the ring form and basic movement patterns, what makes
all these genres African-based is that the mock-combat is coordinated
with a percussive musical accompaniment. Many African dances are war
dances and some say Capoeira can be referred to as a war dance too.
Slaves in Brazil definitely added to the martial qualities of the game
for Capoeira to become a weapon but the dance qualities were never
disregarded or lost. Dancing is a tribute to the joy of life. It was
also used as a disguise when officials came upon capoeiristas
practicing their art.
One theory is that capoeira originated amongst the Afro-Brazilians
in the "Senzalas", the living quarters for the slaves on Brazilian
plantations. Others believe that capoeira was practiced and used to
fend off attacks by Portuguese slavers in Palmares, Brazil's most infamous Quilombo maroon
colony of escaped slaves. There is no historical evidence to support
any of these claims; many written documents regarding slavery in Brasil
were burned when the first government of the new Republic was
established. There is, however, evidence and agreement that Capoeira is
aesthetically and philosophically an Afro-Brazilian art form.
The most acceptable claim is that slaves developed the art based on
traditional African dances and rituals in the work free hours left to
them, thus training both mind and body for combat situations. As the
slave-masters forbade any kind of martial art, it was cloaked in the
guise of an innocent-looking recreational dance. In the 16th century,
escaped-slaves founded a number of "Quilombos" , in which the art of
Capoeira was further perfected. Many escaped-slaves, before they could
reach the Quilombos, were captured by the Capitães-do-mato that ironically were sometimes African decedents or mulatos
themselves. The "Capitães-do-mato" were hired by the Portuguese slavers
and usually worked on their own. The inhabitants of Palmares, the
largest of the Quilombos, lasted 65 years. The "Quilombo dos Palmares"
was located in what is today's state of Alagoas, northeast Brazil. Its
population was composed not only of escaped African slaves but also of
native Brazilian Indians and other mixed races(Mestiços). It had an
organized government system similar to an African Kingdom with a King
and his Assembly. The best warriors on battles were chosen King;
"Zumbi" was the most known King of all. The "Quilombo dos Palmares"
fought for many years and was finally destroyed in 1694 by Domingos
Jorge Velho and his troops. "Zumbi" managed to escape and many believed
that he was immortal. Wanted by the authorities, he was captured on
November 20th, 1695. He was killed and beheaded on the spot. His head
was brought to a public Plaza at the "vila do Recife". "Zumbi" was
considered a national hero and warrior, a symbol of liberty ; his name
became a Capoeira legend. Capoeira was used not only in direct combat,
it also inspired the battle strategy itself; feigning retreat, thus
luring the over-confident enemy into remote territories only to strike
back at an unsuspecting place and time.
During the "Paraguai War" (1864 to 1870), many capoeiristas were
sent to battle in the front line. The official prohibition of Capoeira
remained even after slavery was abolished in May 13th, 1888. In 1890,
Brazilian president "Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca" signed an act that
prohibited the practice of capoeira nationwide, with severe punishment
for those caught. It was nevertheless practiced by the poorer
population on public holidays, during work-free hours and similar
occasions. Riots, caused also by police interference, were common.
Persecution and punishment were almost successful in eradicating
Capoeira from the "streets" of Brasil by the 1920s. In spite of the
ban, Master Bimba (Manuel dos Reis Machado) created a new style, the
"Capoeira Regional" (as opposed to the traditional "Capoeira Angola" of
Mestre Pastinha). He incorporated new moves and techniques from
"Batuque", a martial art that he learned form his father (the unified
champion); The "Capoeira Regional" or "Luta Regional Baiana" was than a
more effective and efficient style of capoeira. Mestre Bimba was
finally successful in convincing the authorities of the cultural value
of Capoeira, thus ending the official ban in the 1930s. Mestre Bimba
founded the first Capoeira school in 1932, the "Academia-escola de
Capoeira Regional", at the Engenho de Brotas in Salvador-Bahia. He was
than considered "the father of modern capoeira". In 1937, he earned the
state board of education certificate. In 1942, Mestre Bimba opened his
second school at the "Terreiro de Jesus - rua das Laranjeiras"; today
rua Francisco Muniz Barreto, #1. The school is open until today and
supervised by his ex student, "Vermelho-27". He also taught capoeira to
the army and at the police academy. Mestre Bimba was born on November
23rd, 1900, at the "bairro do Engenho Velho" in Salvador-BA. The son of
Luiz Cândido Machado and Maria Martinha do Bonfim, Mestre Bimba started
capoeira at the age of 12. He was taught by "Bentinho", an African that
used to be the "capitão da Companhia Baiana de Navegação". Master Bimba
was a coal man, carpenter, warehouse man, longshoreman, horse coach
conductor, but mainly capoeirista; a giant with strong personality! He
died on February 15th, 1974 at the "Hospital das Clínicas de Goiânia",
due to a stroke. Capoeira progressed from an illegal art to become a
national sport in Brasil. It is also growing its popularity worldwide.
There have been comparisons drawn between the Afro-North American art
form of the blues and Capoeira. Both were practiced and developed by
Afro-American slaves, both retained distinctive African aesthetics and
cultural qualities; both were shunned and looked-down upon by the
larger Brazilian and North American societies within which they
developed, and both fostered a deep sense of Afrocentric pride
especially amongst poorer and darker skinned Blacks.In the mid-1970s,
when masters of the art form - mestre capoeiristas, began to emigrate
and teach Capoeira in the United States, it was still primarily
practiced amongst the poorest and Blackest of Brazilians. With its
emigration to the U.S., however, much of the stigma with which it was
historically associated in Brazil was shed. Today there are many
capoeira schools all over the world (Capoeira is gaining ground in
Japan) and throughout the United States, and with its growing
popularity in the U.S. it has attracted a broad spectrum of
multicultural, multiracial students. In New York City particularly,
Capoeira schools have attracted a representative array of students from
White, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic and Black North American segments of
New York's diverse population. While the present demographics of
Capoeira students in New York has developed into a multicultural,
multiracial base, the demographics of masters has largely remained
Brazilian and the philosophy of capoeira has retained its Afrocentric
focus.
