BRAZIL: Capoeira - does a body good

By late September of 2005, our ship had traveled from the Bahamas, snaked south in between Cuba and Haiti toward Venezuela and along South America's north and eastern coasts to dock in Salvador, Brazil. I spent most of my time in Brazil in the city of Salvador in an area called Bahia and island hopping off the coast of the city. No matter where I was in the country though, capoeira was in action and so were the ripped and sculpted bodies that were capable of such a beautiful form of contortion.

Capoeira is a fight-like dance that originated from Brazil during the African slave trade into the country (16th-19th centuries). The way I understand its history from the bits and pieces I picked up while in Bahia, African slaves engaged in capoeira as a way to hinder the effects of suppression and to keep African traditions alive. I was told by one native Brazilian that capoeira was a way to "fight" fellow slaves in efforts to relieve aggression, but because capoeira is an art where it's disrespectful to actually make physical contact with your opponent, it appeared more like a dance or ceremony rather than a kick boxing match. For this reason, the act was ignored by the slaves' captors who would usually punish their slaves for fighting.






In short, any given dance is a series of attacks and regression, sometimes with an opponent, involving high kicks, incredibly high jumps and leaps, and back flips and body-bends in any given direction. Most impressively is the ability for a performer to do these ridiculously elevated maneuvers while jumping and landing almost in the same spot.

There was always a small crowd of either fellow dancers or musicians and awe-struck observers surrounding any given capoeira performance be it on the street or in a dance hall or restaurants that have the option of a show on the menu. I personally saw capoeira everywhere in Bahia - on the street (where performers will hold upside-down positions on one arm to get your attention and take a photo - then ask for money since you took a picture of them...), on postcards and posters in shops, on the beaches, and in a Luau-like dinner performance.

I have distinct images in my mind of insanely able, half-naked bodies of the people who can do capoeira well. Of course I gawked all these young Afro-brazilian men with dreadlocks and bulging pecs and biceps and abs and quads....and was envious of the women with an evenly toned body. Even teenagers and youngsters were running around with what little muscles they had toned and tuned and would strike a headstand or a back flip off curbs or into the surf.

Capoeira has not only spread and varied throughout areas of Brazil, but has become a worldwide phenomenon. Many of America's universities have capoeira clubs (including the U of A) and it seems most communities and gyms have classes and clubs for all ages (including in Tucson). Keep in mind that this blog is by no means an expert's take on the art, technique or history of capoeira; it is only how I experienced wandering the streets and beaches of Bahia/Salvador. Check out either capoeirista.com or capoeiraarts.com for a more indulgent history, explanation and music samples (even wikipedia, though usually shunned by some on account of possible inaccuracy, has an in depth article on the art and dance).

Included in my blog are my own videos from a dinner show called "Bahia by Night" and pictures from around Bahia, Friars Island (about an hour off the coast of Salvador) and the city of Salvador. Obrigado!