Capoeira in the Context of Brazilian Culture - Coursework Example

Capoeira in the Context of Brazilian Culture Capoeira in the Context of Brazilian Culture Capoeira is a form of art that incorporates movement, music as well as other traits of practical philosophy. An individual gets to have the spirit of capoeira by taking part in a physical game called jogo de capoeira or just jogo. During this customary contest, two participants exchange tactical blows while at the same time observing customs and ideal manners of the art. Each of the participants endeavors to control the contest by using tricks and misleading moves. During the combat, the capoeristas discover their strengths and weaknesses as well as their deep seated anxieties. Although this process is often frustrating, it brings about an encompassing joy as well as a moment of individual expression, self-reflection and development. Although much is known about capoeira, very little is known about its history, and therefore, this paper explores the history cultural and historical background of capoeira in Brazil (Capoeira, 2003). Capoeira Historical Background During the middle Ages, Portugal experienced a sharp decline in its labor force as a result of people loss in the struggle for independence from Castile. This period was also characterized by numerous diseases that led to the loss of numerous lives. The mass exportation of people to Africa and India by the Portuguese colonial conquests heightened the problem. By the start of the sixteenth century, Portugal had begun the process of human trafficking to its South American colony of Brazil. Between the periods of 1500-1890, nearly four million people had been transferred from Portugal to Brazil. Although a treaty stopping human trafficking had been signed in 1850, it was not strong enough to prevent the mass exportation of slaves from Africa and other parts of the world to Brazil. The ethnocultural contributions of this enormous obligatory human immigration, together with those of the indigenous dwellers of the colony and those of the Europeans from Portugal, fashioned the people and the culture of the Brazilian nation (Urry, 2000). The Africans brought along the basic elements of capoeira and this is clear from the aesthetics of movement as well as the art, customs, as well as the philosophical principles that characterize it. Despite the numerous characteristics between capoeira and African elements, there is still confusion on whether this art had its genesis in Africa or Brazil. Over the years, many contemporary historians have tried to depict capoeira as a purely Brazilian affair with Brazil history and culture (Morton, 2005). Despite the difference variations on the origins of this great tradition, the truth is that it embodies the great culture and history of Brazil; this is the main focus of this paper. Capoeira Brazilian Capoeira is an intricate manifestation of cultural tradition as well as personified understanding that contains vague ancestries in the slave culture of north east Brazil. Capoeira is not entirely a dance, but has an unclear definition as a result of its distinctive combination of history, beliefs, song, ballet and martial arts. This has led some historians to label it as the blurred genre. Capoeira has been associated with a certain type of fight dance but the fact that the desire of the participants is not to win makes it an art. For a long time, capoeira and the individuals practicing it was the subject of persecution by the national government. This persecution was often followed by national celebrations all over Brazil but this has gained popularity and it is now a popular tradition all over the world. Despite the continuous depiction of capoeira as an internal affair, historians have continually associated it with African slave activity in Brazil. The chronological context and growth of capoeira is uncertain due to its initial repression and casualness as adepts were dreaded due to its poor origins and the association of this tradition with illegal activity towards the end of the nineteenth and the start of the twentieth century (Jean-Francois, 2005). Over the years, capoeira has advanced and transformed through the work of many practitioners and as it is, two distinct styles can be outlined and these are Angola and Regional. Capoeira Regional is currently practiced by the Abolicao Oxford Capoeira (AOC) group, where its enthusiasts mainly centered in Oxford train with a contra-mestre that has its origins in Brazil. This group is positioned in an international network of Capoeira practitioners, where they maintain their associations through the mutual enjoyment of the game. Such connections are upheld by way of circulation of acts that accord something a dimension (Kraay, 2008). Culture and its Relation to Capoeira In essence, many concepts and ideas of culture and history offer the chance to examine as well as study of Brazilian Capoeira. Some writers point out that material objects are crucial in determining place, as the tools that are available will shape the resultant human activity. This may be viewed as lacking relevance in Capoeira, as the personified, playful characteristic can be found anywhere without calling for the need of physical tools. It is rather the buildup of knowledge and physical ability that develops the position for human activity in Capoeira. For this reason, the efficient quality and enactment of the game mat be changed based on local services and atmosphere, but it is more probable that the individuals will be the biggest influences in transforming the experiential and embodied practice of Capoeira as a result of the physical, social and mutual state of the game (Kraay, 2008). Until the destruction of slavery of Brazil in 1888, slaves devised numerous ways to challenge their captivity. One very unique strategy was to flee into the neighboring areas of the desert where the Chinese had not yet conquered. Once there, they established the famous semi-sufficient villages that consisted of only run away slaves that were locally known as quilombas. Capoeira is linked to these run-away communities and it is often linked with the legendary Palmares. Palmares was the biggest of the run-away communities that went on for over 80 years during the 17th century and it is renowned for the ability of its people to ward off the Portuguese attacks. One of the existing myths is that the Palmares led by their leader Zumbi were successful due to their ability to use Capoeira in their defense. The legend of Zumbi and the Palmares is a common story in majority of the capoeira songs (Latour, 2005). Regardless of whether this historical perspective is correct or not, the link between capoeira and the communities of fugitive slaves depicts how capoeira embodies rebellion against oppression. Historians note that this desire to be free was inoculated on the indigenous Brazilians who were struggling to shake themselves out of colonialism. Even today, this game in Brazil is linked to the desire by individuals to identify themselves with what they believe to be the strongest and purest form of resistance to subjugation. The Palmers in the traditional Brazil had become a sign of total and triumphant resistance against great likelihoods (Latour, 2005). After the colonial abolishment of slavery in 1888, capoeira remained on an evolution mode. Although this struggle was no longer based on the perspective of captivity and physical war for the struggle for independence, capoeira nonetheless held its role as a freedom struggle. This claim is true considering the contemporary form of capoeira that is believed to have started around 1930. It was during this period that capoeira came out of its traditional status as an extremely sidelined, persecuted and illegal practice that only took place instinctively and in furtively in the streets of Salvador from where capoeira is believed to have been born many years ago. Going well into the years after the abolishment of slavery, capoeristas were treated as the scum of society, hooligans, and violent criminals. Manoel dos Reis Machado who is popularly known as Mestre Bimba, was a renowned master of capoeira and a campaigner in Salvador beginning in 1922 to the period of his demise in 1974. From that period, he has become an idol within the society of capoeira for having changed capoeira from the traditional highly discriminated street combats for the poor into a much respected martial arts that could be learned in academies. As noted earlier, he attained this by creating a new form of capoeira that was commonly referred to as the Capoeira Regional. This re-invention, which brought in violent kicks, punches, and swipes, triggered the inception of new martial art forms. This was as a belief that capoeira in its traditional form was not an ideal way of self-defense. However, this new form was created as a way of the weak defending themselves against the strong. This mirrored the cultural reasons behind the formation of this game in the 16th century (Essien, 2008). Mestre Bimba formed the first official capoeira academy in 1932 in central Salvador, Bahia and in the following years formed a number of definite traditions that are still esteemed and observed by Capoeira Regional academies across the globe. The effect that the work of Mestre Bimba had on the future of capoeira was astronomical, which would finally lead to its global expansion and incorporation of capoeristas that were not just of Brazilian culture. Simply stated, Mestre Bimba was instrumental in making capoeira appealing to whites and indeed people of all socio-economic classes. Instead of being viewed as something that was only fit for slaves, capoeira under Bimba gained acceptance among people of all classes (Essien, 2008). Capoeira as a Weapon Although the contemporary form of capoeira is seen to be slightly different from the traditional one, the truth is that capoeira in both its traditional and contemporary form still remain a strong weapon. In Brazil as well as in other parts of the world, the violence of the struggle for freedom was followed by the violence for forced labor. The brutality of the independence process led to a state where violence became a common feature in the society (Manning, 2007). In order to instill discipline on the ordinary Brazilians, the colonizers again turned into violence. It is not surprising therefore that reaction against the colonizers also adopted a violent nature. Some academicians have insisted on the significance of violence in the everyday culture among the presumed free poor. Due to the vast size of Brazil, administrators seldom had the available means to oversee the entire area under their watch. All these factors led to the creation, in traditional Brazil, of a cultural type known as valentao or tough guy. Modern scholars have pointed out that the emergence of this tough guy was not just concentrated in the areas where the slaves resided but it was widespread even in cities. After the crumbling of the empire, and its federal bureaucracy, the creation of clientilistic networks by locals gave rise to a favorable milieu for the emergence of urban tough guys (McCormack, 2008). Although there is no consensus, historians point out that the traditional capoeira were characterized by violence a feature that is also evident in the contemporary capoeira. At the start of the twentieth century, the concept of capoeira became associated with issues of street fights and violence. This is evident from newspaper accounts of capoeira in the period preceding the 1930s. However, some analysts point out that this view of the capoeira depicts the elite perception of popular culture. However, the link of capoeira and violence in Salvador is undeniable even though the musical and playful aspects of the new form seem to have been different from that of the traditional form established in Rio de Janeiro (Norton, 2000). Even though the contemporary capoeira lays its emphasis on rituals, there is no denying that in there is a call to violence underneath it. This can be seen from the old guard who constantly tell their audience stories of expertise in art that helped them to conduct violent combats in the streets although most of the emphasis is on the exceptional nature of that fight. Ideally, the traditional capoeira techniques were seen as a struggle for freedom by the slaves in Brazil. However, as this art mutated after the abolition of slavery, the contemporary form still harbors a call to violence mainly for self defense. This fact can be seen from analysts who point out that there is a strong link between the culture of violence and capoeira in the city of Bahia where the modern capoeira is believed to have been born. Perhaps the thing that confuses people about these two forms is that there are usually no arrests unlike in the past but there is a very strong link between these two forms of capoeira. However, there are still criminal records that link capoeira and violence in the contemporary society (Norton, 2000). Conclusion The history of capoeira is clouded in mystery and over the years, there have been various attempts to define capoeira but none of them have been successful in tracing the roots of this traditional form of art. This is because there are those who link this work of art to the African slaves transported to Brazil by the Portuguese while other historians have depicted it as an internal affair. However, one thing that is in agreement between all these accounts is that capoeira is founded on a strong culture of violence. At first, this violence was a struggle to be free from colonial rule. However, with the inception of the contemporary form of capoeira, the violence mutated in to a struggle for survival in the cities. Although so many things have changed about capoeira over the years, it is evident that it is still linked to the cultural desire to be free both for the indigenous Brazilians and the slaves. References Capoeira, N. (2003). The Little Book of Capoeira. North Atlantic Books Essien, A., (2008). Capoeira Beyond Brazil: From a Slave Tradition to an International Way of Life. Blue Snake Books, California. Jean-Francois, B. (2005). The Illusion of Cultural Identity. Hurst and Co Kraay, D. (2008). Afro-Brazilian Culture and Politics: Bahia 1790s-1990s. M.E. Sharpe, USA Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the social. Oxford University Press Manning, E. (2007). Politics of Touch: Sense, Movement, Sovereignty. University of Minnesota Press. McCormack, D. (2008). Geographies for Moving Bodies: Thinking, Dancing, Spaces. Geography Compass 2(6): 1822-1836 Morton, F. (2005). Performing ethnography: Irish traditional music sessions and new methodological spaces. Social and Cultural Geography, 6, (5): 100-120. Norton, W. (2000). Cultural Geography: Themes, Concepts, Analysis. Oxford University Press, Canada Urry, J., (2000). Sociology Beyond Societies: Mobilities for the Twenty First Century. Routledge. Read More