What is Capoeira ?
From the beginning of the sixteenth until the end of the nineteenth century, Portuguese slave traders raided villages along the Yoruban costal region of western Africa to stock the slave trade. The demand for slaves to work on plantations in the New World colonies during this period increased constantly, especially in the region that is today north-eastern Brazil.
Approximately three million slaves were forced to learn to survive in this new, harsh land. Unable to defend themselves against the weapons of their new masters, and unable to unify their diverse cultural groups, the slaves had no way to rebel against captivity. With influences from Africa, Portugal, and the indigenous peoples of the New World, a new form of self-defence was developed that ultimately led to their freedom.
Disguising their training as a ritualistic dance, participants (capoeiristas) threw spinning kicks and head butts, narrowly missing their opponents, who countered with acrobatic retreats that suddenly changed from defence to attack. Onlookers sang, clapped their hands, and played drums to the rhythm of the berimbau, a one-stringed bowlike instrument. The lyrics of the songs spoke of happier life and freedom.
Capoeira history is based on the oral tradition. Because of that, there is no simple answer for the question, “Where did Capoeira come from?”
However Dutch invasions between 1624-1630 caused temporary disorganization in the farms and sugar mills of Brazil. For the slaves, these invasions brought an opportunity for escape. Taking advantage of the nearby forests, they hid themselves and formed communities that would become known as Quilombos. They were organized politically and socially like African tribal societies. The leader of the Quilombos was a king called “Gunga-Zumba”, later shortened to “Zumbi”. This king was a great general, who became famous because of his defensive skills and numerous victories against the Portuguese.
When the Dutch were expelled from Brazil the slave owners send out armed expeditions to recapture the fugitives and destroy the Quilombos. Without a substantial amount of weapons, the ex-slaves realized they would have to defend themselves with their hands (and feet!). They created a style of self-defense that would stand against weapons and firearms. This style of fighting was called “Capoeira de Angola”; capoeiras were the name of the brushwoods where the fugitives entrenched themselves and it was believed that the first group of slaves who arrived in Brazil were from Angola.
In 1890 Capoeira was outlawed in Brazil. It remained outside of the law until in 1928, when Master Bimba (Manoel dos Reis Machado) founded what was known as “Luta Regional Baiana”. A fusion of Capoeira Angola and batuque (street Capoeira) it was later called Capoeira Regional. During this time Capoeira became more than just a fight. It acheived national recognition and became what it is today: a dance, a sport, a game and an artistic expression of freedom.
Capoeira was formally brought to the United States for the first time in the 1970s, and is now taught in cities across the world. Its exotic appearance, and driving make it fascinating to watch, and its symbols of the unification of the masses and the freedom of the individual ensure the growth and survival of capoeira in the future.