Joseph is a burgeoning Capoeirista. One night, while playing in the roda with some friends, he accidentally hit one of them in the face. In response to that experience, he wrote a poem called The Roda. Below is an excerpt. Enjoy!
ever fleeting existence of my miniature....minute....little self before the sons and daughters of boundless energy. I am great and little. I am big and small. Inexperienced. Insults to my elders and curses to my teachers I bring to their table. I am lost in the wonders of my own potential. Miscommunication time and time again with my life in gentle hands of fellow brothers. Sisters...beautiful women. Sirens leading me to intoxication that I reciprocate with stupidity. Insect that I am. Crushed again and again to be reincarnated. To play....once more.
Mestre Bom Jesus and Capoeira Performance Arts give a solid Maculele performance in the above video. Tossing in a breather for the audience to process what they've seen and for the dancers to catch their breathe, this clip is a nice example of how to put together a quick show. Enjoy!
Above is an excerpt from 2006's Samba On Your Feet, a documentary about Samba and how a clash of cultures created a new tradition. Directed by Eduardo Montes-Bradley, the documentary is rich with history, culture, and (naturally) samba. Below is the movie's Amazon description. Enjoy!
This lively film goes behind the scenes of the samba and carnival world in Rio de Janeiro to reveal how the cultural clash of the African/Black and European/White cultures gave birth to a new tradition. The historian Haroldo Costa, an expert in carioca folklore, explains how African slaves' beliefs, gods and music mixed with Spanish Catholic and Indian influences centuries ago to create the remarkable fusion that is Brazilian culture. The historian Haroldo Costa, an expert in carioca folklore, explains how African slaves' beliefs, gods and music mixed with Spanish Catholic centuries ago to create the remarkable fusion that is Brazilian culture. The film includes interviews with many active performers and writers of samba such as the composer and singer Xango da Mangueira. He recalls the first days of carnival in Rio de Janeiro when he and his fellow performers sang and danced in the streets but were treated like vagrants and harassed by the police. Mae Helena D'Oxosse, a priestess in the umbanda tradition, incorporates samba in her religious practices and carries on a tradition among her working-class followers that is five hundred years old.
Above is the trailer for Slums, Drums and Capoeira. Directed by Julian KS and Mo Bazazi and produced by Whitematter Ltd, Slums, Drums and Capoeira takes a look at modern Capoeira in Brazil through the eyes of Capoeira mestres, instructors, and up and coming students. Below is a synopsis from their website. Enjoy!
Slums, Drums and Capoeira takes you on a unique journey of discovery into this ancient art form. From its origins in Salvador to Rio's most notorious slum, we see the spirit of Capoeira alive in modern Brazil
Rocinha - the largest slum in Rio de Janiero, where the narrow alleys are stained with the blood of drug trafficking. Here we meet Tiane, a gifted young Capoeirista who lost her brother to the violence. We follow her journey as she fights to establish a Capoeira school in the slum to provide the kids with a different path.
Their story is interwoven with that of the old masters from Salvador the home of Capoeira. With rare footage of Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha (The fathers of modern day Capoeira) and interviews from today's most respected masters (Mestre Curio, Nenel, Bamba, Moraes Bola Sete and many more), Slums , Drums and Capoeira captures the true essence of Capoeira in today's Brazil.
Filmed in Hong Kong, above is an interview with Mestre Barrao, founder of Grupo Axé Capoeira. In the brief interview, Mestre Barrao discusses what Capoeira is to him, what Capoeira has enabled him to do, and where Capoeira may be headed in the future. Enjoy!
This lively film goes behind the scenes of the samba and carnival world in Rio de Janeiro to reveal how the cultural clash of the African/Black and European/White cultures gave birth to a new tradition. The historian Haroldo Costa, an expert in carioca folklore, explains how African slaves' beliefs, gods and music mixed with Spanish Catholic and Indian influences centuries ago to create the remarkable fusion that is Brazilian culture. The historian Haroldo Costa, an expert in carioca folklore, explains how African slaves' beliefs, gods and music mixed with Spanish Catholic centuries ago to create the remarkable fusion that is Brazilian culture. The film includes interviews with many active performers and writers of samba such as the composer and singer Xango da Mangueira. He recalls the first days of carnival in Rio de Janeiro when he and his fellow performers sang and danced in the streets but were treated like vagrants and harassed by the police. Mae Helena D'Oxosse, a priestess in the umbanda tradition, incorporates samba in her religious practices and carries on a tradition among her working-class followers that is five hundred years old.