We Dream of Roda
Like all other athletes, we capoeiristas acknowledge the value of cross-training for developing more versatile strengths while practicing our sport, as well as for safety. As we lift those dumbbells, like all the other athletes in the weight room, we also long to be training, not confined a stuffy room. The knowledge that cross-training, which includes weight-lifting, bicycling, running, yoga, and swimming, will help me excel in the capoeira roda is motivation enough to complete all my sets and reps.
Funny enough, actually training capoeira itself is a really important part of realizing that goal. Due to the unfortunate boundaries of time and space, however, I have been kept from training my favorite sport with a class for several months. I have had to make weekly training sessions for myself, which is always fun, but it’s tough to be my own source of inspiration, especially when I’m still a relative novice. After the semester of going it alone, it was a very lucky me who happened to meet a fellow capoeirista in the weight room last week.
My friend and I had called it quits after a study break workout, and as I was about to leave the weight room, a tee-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the Cordão de Ouro (Golden Belt) capoeira school caught my eye. Now that’s an image I haven’t seen in a while! What could I do, but literally skip across the room and introduce myself? He is a fellow Oxy student, and like me, was experiencing severe symptoms of capoeira withdrawal. We decided on the spot that we simply must train together sometime soon, especially since the schools of capoeira that we come from are so similar. I was literally so excited about this long-awaited training session that I couldn’t sleep that night (and no, it was not out of concern that my capoeira pants wouldn’t fit, by the way).
This week is full of final exams and all the project deadlines which are a natural part of this academic season. Today I heard a sweet reminder that Christmas is just around the corner: “It’s the most wonderful tiiiime of the year…” I find it highly ironic that this phrase could be uttered in such a tense environment as this campus during finals week, though the thought occurred to me that if anyone dares to sing that particular song in the library today, they would be pummeled by the masses and given the same treatment as someone who dared brandish a weapon aboard an aircraft.
Luckily for me, there’s nothing like a good capoeira training session to cheer up a capoeirista, and I have one in my calendar, written in enthusiastically colored ink. I can’t wait, though I am already prepared to begin: channeling the vibe of the Portuguese capoeira songs, yielding control of my movements to the rhythm of the berimbau, I shall sing the song “Eu sou capoeira”, meaning “I am capoeira, capoeira is me.” Brushing the sweat away from my eyes, ignoring the increasing fatigue of my muscles and the dizziness induced by cartwheel after cartwheel; once I enter the flow state of capoeira, the outside world disappears. All that remains is capoeira.
Capoeira in the Blogosphere
Because so many capoeiristas use the web as a forum to share capoeira stories, I am not the first person to write about capoeira’s huge success in permeating the world. Here’s an introduction to my favorite blogs:
Mandingueira
“Mandingueira: (noun, feminine): capoeira player who is skilled, experienced, intelligent, powerful, dangerous, and not to be underestimated”
“Mandingueira is a blog about women, capoeira, and women in capoeira. It will consist of a lot of posts to do with these things, and possibly a few that don’t. These include thought pieces, informative articles, anecdotes, satire, links and multimedia, and hopefully more than one or two things that no one has ever thought of before! One of Mandingueira‘s main goals is to raise lots of discussion, thoughts, ideas, and dialogue, so if something strikes you, please SPEAK UP!”
Mandingueira is my all-time favorite capoeira blog, though I haven’t seen a new post recently. I like it especially because the author, Joaninha, lets her voice shine through in all her posts. She is a feminist in all the best ways possible. She believes, as I do, that capoeira provides us women with the opportunity to discover, develop, and assert our identities in a traditionally, but decreasingly, male-dominated context.
Capoeira Connection
“When I began capoeira in 2001, I was frustrated with the unavailability/inaccessibility of quality capoeira information, since virtually all of it was written and published in Brazil. At the time, there were only three capoeira books published in English…
I hope to continue translating, publishing, and spreading knowledge about capoeira to the English-speaking world. Enjoy the site… but remember that capoeira is learned in the roda, not on the Internet – so quit reading and go train!”
This website is a veritable portal into the capoeira world! Today’s front page features an article on the relationship between capoeira and spirituality, as well as a TEDx talk by a prominent Mestre on the subject of capoeira and racial prejudice. Scrolling down the page, I see a short essay about why the song “Paraná ê” is the world’s most popular capoeira song. Unsurprisingly, the answer lies in the story of the slaves who fought in the War of Paraguay. In exchange for their service in the war, the African slaves of Brazil were promised their freedom. They were successful, thanks to their use of capoeira against the enemy.
Towards the bottom of the page, I hit a gold mine! Listed under is a post titled “Top Five Capoeira Song Lyrics Sites” are links to compendia of all capoeira songs in existence. After I learn all four hundred songs compiled by the Rutgers University Capoeira Club (how I wish my college had one of these), I bet my Portuguese will be pretty swell!
Backpacking Ninja
“Around the world with many Capoeira groups meeting many Capoeira Mestres. This is the ‘Roda of Life.’ ”
“Ninja” from India writes of her globetrotting adventures, of which capoeira has played a significant role. From Israel to Austria, from Philadelphia to São Paulo, she has trained with a different capoeira group in every place she has visited. My capoeira bucket list doubled after browsing through her pictures. What an inspiration!
The Capoeira Blog
“The Capoeira Blog has something for everyone: from the true capoeira novice who has only seen a few moves on TV, to the capoeirista who is just beginning his journey, and to those capoeiristas who already have much experience under their cord.”
Every capoeirista should refer to this blog in times of need- whether wondering about a song translation, the motions of a new move you’re perfecting, or to buy a clever capoeira tee-shirt which will divide all people who see it into two categories: “in the know” and “huh?” It is a great forum to discuss the finer social issues of capoeira, from whether one should wear shoes while playing to how capoeira is portrayed in the media.
Need to Lengthen Your Bucket List? Part Three
Part Three: Capoeira Instruments and Dance
It seems that capoeiristas are always ready to play some capoeira music: no training session, competitive roda, or even a late-night dance party is complete without a few berimbaus adding their steady “chk-chk-ding-tong-tong” to the joyful cacophony. Among my New Zealand capoeira friends, any gathering with at least a few of us in attendance would inevitably transform into a capoeira jam session. Someone would whip out a berimbau and some drums from a closet, and soon enough, Rihanna’s bass beats would quickly be drowned out by our spirited music-making.
I wish I owned any one of these capoeira instruments, so that I could show you how they work. These pictures of me playing the berimbau owned by my friend (who is currently training in Brazil for 6 months) will have to suffice.
I have taken one workshop class on the samba de roda, and still, for the life of me and all the other self-professed white girls I know, cannot comprehend how those Brazilian women can move their hips that fast. They seem to defy the restrictions of human anatomy. (This seems like an ideal moment for a YouTube break for you curious people, so go ahead and check out “samba de roda.” You can check out some capoeira instrument tutorial videos as well.)
The sexualized nature of this dance is a hot topic, and we were told many times in the workshop that it’s a traditional part of capoeira, dating back to the time when only men played the game, and the women would dance during breaks in the game. This seems like the equivalent of an upgraded half-time show: these days, everyone is encouraged to participate, be silly, and have fun after a potentially grueling game of capoeira. There is another type of dance, maculele, which is traditionally linked with capoeira. Though I can dance the basic maculele step and play the dance rhythm on the drum, my knowledge of this facet of capoeira is limited, so I’ll leave this topic for another post.
This is the most impressive collection of berimbaus I have seen in my life. The berimbaus are disassembled and stored as wall art on this wall of the training room at Capoeira Sul da Bahia in Paris.
Basic berimbau anatomy (Image from worldartswest.org)
Alright now, study up! My next post will include a quiz on Berimbau Anatomy…Portuguese pronunciations included 
Need to Lengthen Your Bucket List? Part Two
Part Two: The Pilgrimage to Brazil
Of the capoeira instructors I have trained with, three are Brazilian, and the fourth has visited Brazil. They all return frequently to hone their capoeira techniques in its native context. A common question for a new capoeira friend is “Have you been to Brazil yet?” As with many religious adherents, capoeiristas often take a pilgrimage to the “homeland” of modern capoeira, Brazil, specifically the state of Bahia and its capital city Salvador. The “yet?” is indicative of that expectation.
Without its cultural context, capoeira is just another martial art—though far superior to the others, of course. I could make the argument that without the cultural context of the African slaves’ struggle for freedom in colonial Brazil, capoeira could not exist: there would be no music, as capoeira music sings of this struggle, all to the beat of rhythms of African origin. Without imagining that an escaped slave would need to defend himself against recapture, there would be no point to the offensive and defensive movements of capoeira; they would be just for show. In capoeira, context is everything. When I train capoeira in Salvador and discover that context for myself, I will become a wiser capoeirista. After training in Brazil, we students of capoeira learn why we do the things we do, seeking enlightenment about the game which has captivated us all.
This capoeira song “Capoeira é beleza” explains how Brazilian history, especially the experiences of slaves, is crucial to the practice of capoeira. Listen to the song while reading the English translation of the lyrics below. The emboldened text is the chorus, so feel free to sing along. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to join me in my pilgrimage to Brasil!
| Capoeira não sai da minha cabeça Capoeira não sai do coração Capoeira quem joga é mandingueiro Capoeira é jogo de irmãoCapoeira é beleza Capoeira é tradição Capoeira tem fundamento Capoeira é vibração Capoeira nasceu foi nos quilombos e no sofrimento da senzala O nego cantava a ladainha enquanto o cana cortada Capoeira Na roda de capoeira Capoeira Para ser bom capoeira Capoeira |
Capoeira won’t go out of my head Capoeira won’t go out of my heart Capoeira who plays is a mandingueiro Capoeira is a game of brothersCapoeira is beautiful Capoeira is tradition Capoeira has roots Capoeira has the vibe Capoeira was born in the quilombos and in the suffering in the slave-quarters The negro sang a ladainha while he cut the sugarcane Capoeira In the roda of Capoeira Capoeira To be a good Capoeirista Capoeira |
Video: Capoeira Roda
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| From videos |
I took this video while attending a capoeira weekend workshop in Wellington, during my semester studying abroad in New Zealand. I injured my foot while playing early in the roda, so I was forced to sit out the rest of the game.
Notice the style of music: it is call-and-response, and all in Portuguese. Everyone participates in creating music, through hand-clapping and singing. This creates the spirit, the axé (a-shAY), which emboldens the players to give their all. There is one lead singer (wearing the dark blue shirt), and tradition dictates that he/she leads the roda, meaning that they can sing whatever song they feel fits with the events of the game, and technically can decide which players should be in the ring, who should play against who, and when they are allowed to play. In informal settings like this post-workshop, celebratory roda on a street corner on the main drag of Wellington, however, anyone can play against anyone, whenever they want!
The three big stick-like instruments in the center are berimbaus, and they lead the songs. To the right you can see the pandeiro (tambourine), and off the screen to the left are the atabaque (upright drum) and agogo (two-tone bell).
Need to Lengthen Your Bucket List? Join a Capoeira Group.
Part One: The Portuguese Language
From chamber musicians to beekeepers to Scotch drinkers, I’ve spent quality time with all sorts of people from diverse backgrounds, gathered for a common cause. Of these groups, I believe that capoeiristas seem to all share the highest percentage of items on their respective bucket lists. This is due to the multi-faceted nature of this art form: it is a physical, musical, cultural, and psychological practice. To play expertly in the capoeira roda, one must completely understand each of these facets.
Most capoeiristas I’ve met share many of the same goals, which include becoming highly proficient at all the capoeira instruments, attaining fluency in Portuguese, which will be handy during our someday pilgrimage to Brasil, learning to dance the samba de roda, and of course, learning how to concoct (and drink) the perfect caipirinha or caipiroska. I’ll discuss one of these topics in each of the next series of posts.
By virtue of training with a group, we all know a bizarre assortment of phrases in Portuguese, a beautiful and mysterious language that we can’t wait to make sense of. (For my Portugal-proud readers, this blog refers to the Brazilian version of Portuguese, not that which is directly from Portugal.)
Thanks to daily warm-ups which are done in sets of ten, we capoeiristas can all count to ten in Portuguese. We all shout together as we do our push-ups, squats, lunges, jumps, kicks, and the torture drill du jour: “um, dois, tres, quatro, cinco, seis, sete, oito, nove, dez.” It’s like Spanish, but not. If the instructor “can’t hear us,” they shout out “zero!” and we are obliged to get another round of practice on our numbers, and our push-ups.
One of my favorite capoeira songs goes, “Vou dizer a meu senhor, que a manteiga derramou.” The literal translation, “I’m going to say to my master, that the butter has been spilled,” is a metaphor. In this case, this song is sung to make fun of a player who has just goofed in the roda. But, the original meaning of this phrase comes from the African slaves in Brazil, who used the idea of “spilling the butter” to represent a quiet protest against their masters’ domination.
The cool part of learning these songs is that I know useful, real-world phrases like “I spilled the butter.” Believe it or not, it wasn’t immediately obvious to me exactly why I was singing about butter while watching a martial arts battle; this is where the multiple levels of knowledge come into play. Not only must the capoeirista know the tune of the song and be able to sing the Portuguese lyrics while clapping or playing the capoeira instruments, but he/she must also be aware of the literal meaning of the song, its figurative meaning to the African slaves, as well as its correct usage within a capoeira roda. From now on, when you happen upon a pick-up roda in the park during your lovely afternoon stroll, and you hear the players chanting mysterious words to a catchy tune, you’ll know that there’s more than first meets the ear.
Capoeira Without Borders
Talk about being bitten by the capoeira bug, I know that I definitely have capoeira on the brain when I am able to connect it to my genetics lessons. This morning, I sat in my genetics class, wondering if the “capoeira” gene was located near the “urge to publish” gene. As a scientist, my knee-jerk reaction is to attempt to quantify this hypothesis. A quick Google search for “capoeira blog” yields 61,100 results, many of which are in languages other than English. A dive into the blogosphere reveals how easy it is for capoeiristas in Brussels to read up on the capoeira schools in Bogotá. Capoeiristas from Seoul can watch videos of training sessions in Seattle and the same is true from Paris to Perth.
Regardless of their mother tongue, all schooled capoeiristas possess a rudimentary knowledge of Portuguese from capoeira songs. Now I arrive at the conclusion that capoeira is the only sport which reduces language barriers, and to support it, I will reflect upon my capoeira experience in France.
When I attended a capoeira training session in Paris this past summer, my French was timid. My confidence during capoeira training was little better, due to a healing stress fracture in my foot. Bone fractures or not, I connected with these heretofore unknown people through the music of capoeira. Capoeira could not exist without its musical component, which includes hundreds of songs, all of which have Portuguese lyrics. Portuguese was the most-used language in that training room in Paris. Out of the knowledge that none but one of us was a native speaker, a powerful camaraderie emerged.
The Brazilian instructor spoke mostly fluent French, yet his Portuguese accent was indecipherable at times and led to many funny misunderstandings throughout the evening. Two of his students translated his version of French for me. One of them hailed from Afghanistan, is fluent in his native tongue as well as French, and, like all capoeiristas I’ve met, is learning Portuguese. The other student was Parisian, though he spoke English fluently. In fact, his command of English was better than mine of French, though he patiently conversed in French with me so that I could practice. Our post-training dinner time chat was conducted in an awkward, often-hilarious, combination of Français-English-Português. We even had different ways of pronouncing the name of our dinner, from yet another culture: “sushi.”
