Iê   Grupo Anarquista  de Capoeira Angola

após alguns anos de pesquisa e confusão semântica, surge esta proposta:

"CAPOEIRA - QUAL É A SUA ?? ANGOLA, REGIONAL ou CONTEMPORÂNEA"

WHICH IS YOURS??
ANGOLA, REGIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY

“The best to get to nothing is discover the truth”

“Melhor para chegar a nada é descobrir a verdade”

Manoel de Barros

Introduction

In this beginning of millennium Capoeira’s universe
expanded itself and showed new ways different from the
ways of the last centuries. In the first contact can
be found two icons and two styles: Mestre Pastinha
(Pastinha Master) with Capoeira Angola and Mestre
Bimba (Bimba Master) with Capoeira Regional. But today
in the Capoeira’s world, which is rich in diversity,
there is a semantics confusion in the origin,
development and complexity of the sorts of
“capoeiragem” (capoeira’s universe). This text tries
to provoke the definitions, and it is proposed to a
new sight of capoeiras.

Less than one hundred years ago Capoeira was in the
penal code, including a penitentiary in Fernando de
Noronha, where they used to send the “capoeiristas”
that were prisoners. Nowadays the capoeira has the
credit of the only genuine Brazilian sport, present in
a lot of countries, and trying to become an Olympic
sport. Recently it was created an “Specific College of
Capoeira” in Gama Filho University, in Rio de Janeiro,
hand there’s a number of “capoeiristas” in activity
like it never had before. By the other hand, the
minority of these one practice Capoeira Angola or
Regional while almost the totality don’t practice none
of these styles. And some of them think that practice
both..
.
In the globalizated capitalist society its necessary
to take a lot of care with the concepts. There is a
lot of ways to express the power and authoritarism
that always produces the same results: exploration of
the man by the man and social difference, finally,
the destruction of life. The human history is written
and interpretated by the winners interpretation is
always trying to show changes by the thecnical and
thecnological evolution, that are used to write the
“inhumanity pages”, where doesn’t exist much social
and political evolution. There are many forms of the
“illusion of the evolution”, that has been composed by
the hierarchy structure exposed by Etienne de La
Boétie on the “Discurso da servidão voluntária”, in
the XVI century; passing through how this is made on
the education and mainly on the families like showed
Wilhelm Reich; and even in the spectacle of the
quotidian that we alienated accept, like Guy Debord
wrote in the book “A sociedade do espetáculo”. At this
moment, it’s shown too by the revelations of the
greatest intellectual alive, Noam Chomsky (*1), that
afirms a “manufactured consensus” sustained by the
media and the consumption society.

The SOMA, therapy created by Roberto Freire (*2),
comes for almost forty years daring concepts. After a
collective and individual research in SOMA, for over
ten years studying Capoeira as a scientific instrument
of liberation, I watched different practice visions.
For better compreention of my research line, this text
approaches one of the points that I intend to make a
profound study in a book, that I’m writing with the
intention to publicate this year. So, I reserve myself
now to introduce and discuss the Capoeira’s styles
only.

Many points cause confusion in Capoeira, as the
concept of Mestre and the ideology behind the
historical conclusions. Mestre can be a title, a paper
certificate or a recognition by another master.
Either, can be the pedagogic act of teaching; anyone,
when teaches something new to another one is a master.
And still has the recognition by the community, for
value and life experience (generally older people
become masters like this).

The Mestre appears on the “RODA” (the circle
structure where the ritulistic cerimony of Capoeira
happens, rhythm, singing and on the leadership through
the dialogues of Angola. The Mestre exposes his
behavior on the Capoeira’s RODA, some are Mestre on
the roda of life too.

In 1997 (*3), on a research, I chose the expression
ART (the terms ‘folklore’ and ‘sport’ are more rigid
cause they suffer less changes on the running of
times) to concept Capoeira. I collected the terms
Angola, Regional, ‘Contemporary’, Actual and Street
Capoeira , but didn’t deepened its differences. The
three styles that I see alive today and distinct from
each other are:
- Capoeira Angola
- Capoeira Regional
- “Contemporary” Capoeira (to avoid confusions I
chose ‘Contemporary’ to replace the term ‘angola and
regional’ when the person says that practice the two
styles).
But I warm that this text in a few years can be
outdated.
Being an Art, Capoeira modifies itself and preserve in
its own structure the most antique and “Bantu” concept
of movement: “To the Bantus, specially of the Congo,
to live is an emotional process of movement. To live
is to move, and movement is to learn” (*4). The basic
movement on the Capoeira’s play, GINGA (“one gait
without getting out of place...”), it is a reverence
to the fighter and African Queen N’Zinga N’Bandi (1582
– 1663/1680), or Mistress Ana de Souza, name of
baptism in the Catholic church), that fought for over
forty years against the colonisation and slavery in
Congo and Angola. Capoeira adopted the place of the
queen’s fight to nominate itself (*3) and reverenced
the basic body movement inspired on the woman that
agitated her society politically, from the bottom to
the top.

The term Angola comes from N’Gola N’Bandi that was a
king that resisted a plenty of times at the
expeditions of portuguese colonizators, counter
attacking them victoriously. In 1558, when the nomad
tribes conquered and destroyed the south of the
Congo’s kingdom, and the N’Dongo and Matamba kingdoms;
one of the leaders, N’Gola N’Zinga gave to his son
N’Gola N’Bandi the kingdom of N’Dongo that started to
call the conquered kingdom N’Gola: Angola (*5). We are
in a great part descendants of angolanos, and the
coming of slaves that were complete experts of nigers
culture by one side enriched the Brazilian culture,
but by the other side collaborated to the actual
misery of the African people. The destruction of
Africa, which we’re responsible, began with the
economics globalization, that started in the period of
colonial traffic with the support of catholic church,
and continues to be destroyed until these days.

The place of Capoeira’s manifestation are always
diverse, they can be from reserved spaces till the
streets, so the categories proposed by me will be
based in the ways that Capoeira’s RODA occurs the
ritual, the rhythm, the relation of the attack and
defense movements, the song and energy. Trying to
question and open a discussion of concepts I introduce
only a few actual historical aspects, on which can be
noticed the styles that respect each other but occupy
distinct places. On this manner it becomes necessary
to clear up the minimal aspects of distinction among
the Capoeiras, already disconnected in a multiple
reality. The history of Capoeira Angola is the history
of the Brazilian marginality, with ethnical,
economical and sexual conflicts that are maintained
until today in one of the most paradoxical society:
richness of production and consumption assets,
ambiental richness and the richness of ethnical and
cultural fusion in opposition of a social poorness,
accepted in a nonsense way.

Origins of Capoeira Angola

Everything starts on original Africa, continent of the
first men that dispersed themselves by the world,
originating all the nations. The traffic of the slaves
through the Atlantic Ocean was one of the biggest
commercial and cultural undertaking that designated
the structure of the modern world and the creation of
a world-wide economic system (beginning of the
globalization). The Brazilian participation in this
tragic adventure is esteemed in 40% of the 15 million
or even more of the men and women extracted from their
lands (*6). Studies have variation to the
interpretation of the African ancestry of Capoeira.
Not trying to define the truth, but relating
possibilities, I bring three translation of Capoeira’s
origin:

- On a research of Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho
(GCAP), Mestre Moraes believes that “Capoeira has an
African origin, more exactly on Lubango’s Island, in
the Mucopes’s village, located on the south of Angola
(...). on the period of the zebra’s coupling, the male
animal with the intention to get attention of the
females, joined in a violent combat. From there, the
young mucopes fighters started to imitate some steps
of this ritual wich they nominated N’golo. The
habitants of this village realized once in a year a
big party that was called EFUNDULA, occasion where the
girls that already reached the puberty and on this
manner were ready to the marriage would have as a
husband the fighter that had the best performance on
the N’golo’s practice”(*7). To the majority of the
“angoleiros”, as Masters João Pequeno and João
Grande, from this ritual derives Capoeira;
- On the researches of Mestre Camisa from “ABADA –
Capoeira”, “Capoeira is a result from the fusion of
the African cultures, fights and rituals, in Brazil”.
(...) where one knocked down the other by holding,
catching the legs, waist, neck, to throw to the
ground, the objective is to knock down the opponent
(...). I believe that the strokes to throw down and to
unbalance on Capoeira, had come from “BAÇULA”. Also
exist the ‘Kabangula’, which is a hand’s fight, like
boxing with open hands (...), the ‘Umundiu’, which is
a ritual, a play, that uses the hands and feet, and
the acrobatic dances (*8);
- To Mestre Cobrinha Verde inheritor of one of the
greatest “capoeiristas” of all the times Besouro
Mangangá “Capoeira was originated on the Recôncavo, in
Santo Amaro (Bahia), created by the Africans that
lived chained to work on the factory. On Africa, they
practice the dance called Batuque. (...) From this
dance it was composed Capoeira” (*9).

I finish the stage of origins with Mestre Pastinha
(Vicente Ferreira Pastinha – 05/04/1889 – 13/11/1981):
“... among the oldest Mestresof Capoeira appears the
name of Portuguese, José Alves, follower of Africans
and who directed a group of “capoeiristas” on Palmares
battle. The history of Capoeira begins with the coming
of the first African slaves to Brazil” (*10) (the
underline is mine).

Where the confusion grows...

There is a “fog” over the Capoeira’s history, mainly
by the oral and marginal tradition. The historic
aspects without contextualization and profound
studies, serves more to increase the confusion than to
the clearness. The burning of the Brazilian slavery
registers done by Ruy Barbosa, when he was the
Financial Minister, in 15/12/1890, colaborated to the
misinformation about “capoeiragem”. This information,
published on books and magazines, is added with other
one that says that he did it to “eliminate from the
Brazilian memory this lamentable institution”. Now,
when this information is contextured and criticised,
it starts to have other interpretations: would the
burning of the registers eliminate from the memory
this ‘lamentable’ slavery?

I think that we only will learn with the past and
won’t repeat it, if we have more information. To
forget the mistakes of the past is the best way to
repeat them. Besides, the simple burning of archives
wouldn’t make memories from the slavery disapear. As a
matter of fact, it was a government’s strategy to
avoid that ex-owners of slaves searched for a
compensation from the damages that they had with the
abolition of slavery, two years before. In 1998, with
the publication of the first magazine with national
distribution dedicated only to Capoeira there was an
increase on the information available to the great
public. After that, happened an editorial ‘boom’ with
a lot of magazines at the same time, but the majority
didn’t last much. On these magazines, with mistakes of
revision and impression, repeated many informations
that were destined more to make publish groups and
egos. By the other side, happened the possibility to
find a lot of decent researches and profound studies.


The importance of Capoeira on the Brazilian society
is being discovered little by little, but we will
never have a real sight of what happened on
marginality. From the 80’s the parts of a puzzle are
countless and they appear on academic studies and
independent groups, that investigated seriously the
Capoeira’s past. As I’ve already situated, the subject
of this article is another, but for who want to study,
is interesting to know how the famous capoeiristas
from our history, as Plácido de Abreu, Duque Estrada,
Barão do Rio Branco, among others, are omited from the
Brazilian teaching. And still there’s the importance
of the brazilian “capoeiristas” on the Paraguay’s war,
inclusively being the capoeira Chico Diabo (corporal
Francisco Lacerda) who killed the Paraguayan’s
president Francisco Solano López in 1870, causing the
end of the war (*11).

There is a separation between what was Capoeira since
its origins till the moment that happened the
apropriation by the dominator system. It was born as
an art of libertation, helping the Nigger, and then
the marginal to keep a link with their past. A Nigger
art that in Brazil became stronger with diverse
contributions, including from the Indian, that
sustained the Nigers on their escapes in the forest.
As is known that “quilombos” were diverse free
societies: 70% of the population from the eight
principal “quilombos” were Niggers, 25% were indians
and 5% white, all of them refugees (*12). There were
also contributions of the “fadistas” portuguese
(singers of Fado – portuguese folk song). Agile on the
corporal fight and the handling of the razor, the
fadistas lived in the streets of Lisboa and Porto in
the XIX century (*13).

The political moment of 1888-1889, year of the
proclamation of the Slavery Abolition followed by the
Proclamation of the Republic, shows how the Brazilian
State got changed to keep equal on the essence. The
‘social and political revolution’, called by Deodoro
on his Proclamation as the ‘national revolution’,
didn’t modify the relation of dominator versus
dominated (topXbottom). “They managed with such
manners on the modes of production that the ex-slavers
such as the contandini and the bracianti, italian
imigrants that enlarged the subaltern class – didn’t
had, by the law, on that crisis, warranties of access
to the possessions of to the property of the land, to
the work and, also, to the salary” (*14) (*32). It is
known that the first decrees forbidding Capoeira dated
from 1814, six years after the coming of the Imperial
Family to Brazil. On this period, the brazilian
population was 3,6 million of habitants, being 1,9
million (more than the half) of slaves. Since 1890, on
the Republic, Capoeira entered on the Penal Code. So,
after centuries of marginality, it was officially
forbidden for over 120 years. On this manners, we have
less than 70 years of settled “capoeiragem”.

With the probable origin on the XVI century and
multiple development on the centuries XVII, XVIII and
XIX, Capoeira survived to a lot of changes. Not
consisting in an unity of forms and rituals, it was
capable to dialogue “with new contexts, adapting
itself on the detail to maintain the essential of its
constitution” (*15). Undoubtedly, it developed a
potencial of fight that created the great zone of
coffee (*16), forcing the AUREA Law. Appearing either
as the “protector of the country” on the Cisplatina
War (1825-1828) and on the Paraguay’s War (1865-1870).
Used on a military way not just on the wars, but on
the elections, for example, in 1909, the capoeiristas
canvassers elected the Nigger and monarchist deputy
Dr. Monteiro Lopes, on the Federal District (RJ). On
the same year, cariocas students promoted the fight
between the capoeira Ciríaco Francisco da Silva and
the fighter of Jiu-jitsu Sada Miako. With the victory,
Ciríaco became object of all the attentions, included
as an eminence on the national magazines,. While
Mestre Pastinha teached to his pals on the “ Escola de
aprendizes da Marinha” the art that he learned with an
African Mestre Benedito, in 1902 to 1900, on the
marginality.

...Capoeira Regional

The mutation process of Capoeira is too old. In 1874,
Raul Pederneira describes in the Carioca Jargon the
first nomenclature of movements and defends Capoeira
not as a sport. In Rio de Janeiro, in 1907, a military
officer writes “O Guia do Capoeira ou Ginástica
Brasileira" (The Guide of Capoeira or Brazilian
Gymnastic). In 1928, the capoeirista Annibal
Burlamaqui, known as Zuma, publishes “Ginástica
Nacional – Capoeiragem – Metodizada e Regrada”
(National Gymnastic – Capoeiragem – Methodical and
Ruled). Some people say he had influenced Mestre Bimba
(Manoel dos Reis Machado, 1899/1900-1974), who created
the Luta Regional Baiana (Bahia’s Regional Fight),
establishing his academy in 1932 (*17-A). Mestre Nenel
disagrees saying that M. Bimba already had his method
being developed since 1918. Mestre Decânio points the
importance of Dr. José “Sisnando” Lima for the
establishment of Regional (*17-B). When Capoeira was a
crime, Mestre Bimba changes it, introducing new
strokes and a systematization of the teaching. After
years of hard work, he gets the first permission of
the Government to practice the Capoeira, em 9/7/1937,
from a Army Officer, the Interventor Federal of the
Estado Novo (first Brazilian dictator government of
last century) in Bahia, Juracy Magalhães.

New changes in these 400 years of troubled history:
the populist project of Getúlio Vargas, in a military
strategy, tries to appropriate the Capoeira to control
it and make it a sport or physical education. In 1934,
Getúlio Vargas, to get the women, analphabets, and
soldiers’ votes, extinguishes the law that had
forbidden the Capoeira and the practice of
afro-brazilian cults. Otherwise obligates that the
Capoeira and the afro-brazilian cults be done in
closed places with a permit. Again, the control is
shown as freedom. In the end of the 40’s the police
cavalry still impedes the Capoeira in the streets (the
cavalry “toque” (beat) in the berimbau, warning the
capoeiras...). The Capoeira Regional came from
Capoeira Angola, as a strategy, with other name: Luta
Regional. In this context, the traditional Capoeira
starts to be called as Angola for a better
differentiation. In 1953, o President Getúlio Vargas
watches a show of Mestre Bimba and say about the
Capoeira: “the unique collaboration authentically
Brazilian to physical education must be considered our
national fight” (*18).

With the growth of Regional, that was frequented by
students and registered workers, the Angola continued
aside of the institutionalization until February 23rd,
1941, when great mestres of that age passed to Mestre
Pastinha the responsibility of preserving the art of
the Angola (*19). So, is created the Centro Esportivo
de Capoeira Angola (CECA) (Capoeira Angola Sport
Center), registered only in 10/1/1952. In 1955, it is
installed in Largo do Pelourinho, Salvador, Bahia.

In spite of the apparent dispute between these styles,
there was a mutual respect. Students of Mestre Bimba
could frequent the rodas of Mestre Pastinha and vice
versa. Everyone was welcome, and even the strokes
created by Mestre Bimba were not used with students of
other schools that didn’t use his method. So, the
union of capoeiras starts to be accepted. Mestre
Canjiquinha who was contra-mestre of bateria of Mestre
Pastinha, relates: “There’s no capoeira regional
neither angola. There’s capoeira. (...) I’m
capoeirista. I’m not angoleiro neither regional. (...)
Now, capoeira is according to the toque. If you’re in
a party: if bolero is played, you dance bolero; if
samba is played, you dance samba; - the capoeira is
the same: playing soft, you dance slow; playing fast,
you speed.”(*20).

Where the confusion disbands...
Rio de Janeiro also has a rich marginal history of
Capoeira and a rich influence of the maltas of
capoeiras related to criminality and politics, that
were almost a paralel army. Later, there was a
weakness of the carioca Capoeira and the “creation of
the tradition” (*21) of the baiana Capoeira. Mestre
Bimba took his students to São Paulo in 1949 to
compete in free style fight: they won by knockout thee
of the five fights.
Mestre Bimba also travels showing the Regional: in
1955, in Fortaleza-CE (Teatro José de Alencar); in
1956, in Rio de Janeiro (Maracanãzinho) and, in São
Paulo (inauguration of TV Record); and, in 1968, in
Teófilo Otoni-MG. Mestre Pastinha and the CECA travel
showing the Angola in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio
Grande do Sul, Paraná, Minas Gerais e Recife.
In spite of the traditional capoeiristas in Rio, in
1964 a new phenomenon happens. Students with a few
experience in Angola and in Regional get together and
make the carioca group that was called Senzala that
influenced very much the Capoeira in south/southeast
of Brazil, as by the lost of the characterization
(lost of the traditional rituals), as by the
incorporation of new teaching techniques.
In São Paulo, pioneers as Mestre Zé de Freitas
(disciple of the greatest singer of Capoeira Angola of
all times, Mestre Waldemar da Paixão – BA) and Mestre
Valdemar Angoleiro, opened space to the coming, in the
60’s, of capoeiras that came from Bahia searching for
better conditions of life. Mestres angoleiros and
regionaleiros went to SP. As SP had no tradition in
Capoeira, for a better economical surviving, these
mestres, had to support each other. Mestre Suassuna,
for example, helped many capoeiristas to structure
themselves. This process of adaptation and surviving
is better exemplified with the establishment, in 1967,
of the Cordão de Ouro Academy, formed by mestres
Brasília and Suassuna, the first one of the Mestre
Canjiquinha’s Angola genealogy and the second one of
the Mestre Bimba’s Regional genealogy. The impossible
for Mestre Pastinha and Mestre Bimba happens: the
style’s fusion became truth.
In the 50’s, the Capoeira arrives in Belo Horizonte.
In 1963, Mestre Pastinha show up in Universidade
Católica, but only in the 70’s the academies grow and
the Capoeira gets stronger in the squares, being
created a roda in the Praça Liberdade, where the
people get together to watch the capoeira. This roda
developed the famous Hippie Fair, that grown and
became a landmark (nowadays it’s in Afonso Pena Av.),
but few people talk about the origin of the fair
related to Capoeira.
In Curitiba, in 1973, Mestre Sergipe establishes
Capoeira, after Mestre Eurípedes has passed there in
the beginning of the 70’s. Mestre Sergipe was
contra-mestre of the angoleiro Mestre Caiçara, but, as
Mestre Brasília, also changes the style. In 1975, with
the arrival of Mestre Burguês, the Capoeira disbands
in town.
Still following the history of the power appropriating
the Capoeira, in 1968 e 1969 (second Brazilian
dictator government of last century), the Sports
Commission of Air Force patronize two national
symposiums about Capoeira to establish a unique
nomenclature for the strokes and defenses. Among the
mestres participants, there was Mestre Bimba, who quit
before the end of the second symposium cause he didn’t
accept that Capoeira Regional could fuse with other
rules and usages (in the first symposium he sent
Mestre Decânio to represent him).
It’s interesting that many other capoeiristas had the
wish of being like Mestre Bimba, creating styles with
particular characteristics and names as the Capoeira
Estilizada, the Muzenza, the Saramango, the Primitiva,
the Barravento, etc. But none of these style survived
beyond them groups and descendents, except for the
collective creation of the Capoeira
'Angola-e-Regional', that, in my vision, I repeat,
isn’t Angola neither Regional.
The 70’s are characterized by the shrinking of the
traditional Angola, recovered by Mestre Pastinha. In
1971, he is cheated and loses his academy in the Largo
do Pelourinho nº 19 and in 1979, had a cerebral
hemorrhage. In 1981, he dies blind, in the poverty and
almost forgot. With the death of Mestre Bimba in 1974,
also forgot, cheated and in misery, in Goiânia-GO, the
Regional also loses it’s power and it’s mentor.
In April 1st, 1966, Mestre Pastinha show up with other
mestres and students in África, in the 1st
International Festival of Black Art in Dakar, Senegal.
In the 70’s Capoeira expands to Europa and USA, but
only in 1989, the angoleiro Contramestre Rosalvo
migrate to Europa, establishing in 1997 the first
European academy of Capoeira Angola in Berlim,
Alemanha.
In 1972, the Capoeira is homologated by the Ministério
de Educação e Cultura (MEC) as a sport and in 1974 the
Federação Paulista de Capoeira is born. In 1992, the
Confederação Brasileira de Capoeira is formed and,
finally, in 1993, the Associação Brasileira de
Capoeira Angola (ABCA). Thus, after millenniums of
ancestral playing and few centuries of aggressiveness
for the fight, the Capoeira, that developed variations
since the 20’s to the 50’s, with the creation of the
Regional and the surviving of the Angola, finally is
legalized. In consequence became elite. Since the 60’s
to the 90’s, the fusion and the mutation of the
capoeiras make appear the 'Contemporânea', and, after
a period of weakness, Angola and Regional reappear. We
get in the XXI century with a side of Capoeira related
to the cultural and economical marginality, being the
Roda de Capoeira a learning of civil disobedience for
a living (details in the book). Other side, in another
style, is apropriated, serving to the static system of
the socio-economical structure that keeps the classes,
the explorations and the slavery (now days known as
globalization or neo-liberalism), entertaining or
competing in the free style fights, or even in the
universities and military areas, serving to
hierarchism and passiveness. I remember here the words
of Mestre Lua ‘Rasta’ from Bahia, “... the capoeirista
needs to respect himself...the youngest look for
undestand what’s capoeira, what’s freedom, what’s
militarism; and the capoeira is anti-military, the
capoeira has nothing from the militarism...” (*22).
...a practice...
When I started to practice the capoeira in 1990, in
Curitiba, the academies used to say that they practice
Angola and Regional. I passed by Muzenza of Mestre
Burguês and then by the Centro Paranaense de Capoeira
of Mestre Sergipe. Only in the end of 1991, watching a
show of GCAP in Rio de Janeiro, I experienced a
‘rasteira’. How could I, after two years learning
Angola, discover the Angola?
When I wished to learn only Angola in Paraná, the
capoeiristas laugh on me and said it’s woman stuff, in
a pejorative way e obviously sexist. In Rio, Mestre
Mano says that before 1980, the regionais used to say
that they step in the angoleiro’s heads in the rodas.
In the Capoeira "Contemporânea" there’s a stereotype
of Angola of the angoleiros: very slow and in the
ground, without the ritual. Mestre Moraes and GCAP
rescued the Angola with its content of fight and with
a technical capacity of facing. The angoleiro able to
play Angola and face the "Contemporânea" with
equality, from down to up, in the escape and in the
counter attack, with negatives facing the positives.
In the 60’s, the inexperience in Capoeira (beginning
of Senzala), the need of surviving, the support among
capoeiristas of different styles (Cordão de Ouro and
Senzala), the distance of the traditional centers (BA
and RJ) and the wish of creation of new styles make
the Capoeira suffer new changes. In 1971, trying to
rescue the most traditional aspects, Mestre Almir das
Areias, dissident of Cordão de Ouro, creates the
Capitães da Areia, that, togheter with Cativeiro,
questioned the Federation and its proposal.
Important groups and many other mestres aren’t in this
text cause here I looked for mention only the closest
to the Soma-Iê versus Capoeira Angola research. In
1976, Roberto Freire, intellectual that interviewed
Mestre Pastinha in 1966 for the REALIDADE magazine,
starts to practice Capoeira with Mestre Almir (today
called Anand) and study it scientifically while
developing the Somaterapia.
Here I mention the importance of GCAP, the Group of
Capoeira Angola Pelourinho, formed by Mestre Moraes.
Established since 1980 in Rio and transferred in 1982
to Bahia, had a fundamental importance for the return
of the Capoeira Angola. He let mestres in Rio de
Janeiro and formed Mestre Cobrinha Mansa in Bahia.
Valorizing the old mestres, producing researches, he
brought the traditional energy of the Roda de Capoeira
to a new position: ritual, fight and movement. In the
beginning of the 80’s, with the Regional completing 50
years and Angola completing, 400, the context is
totally changed. The Regional was predominant, but
separate from the principles of its creator, and the
angoleiros, which disagree with the unavoidable fusion
of the capoeiras, were forgotten and separated of the
practice. Mestre João Pequeno, major disciple of
Mestre Pastinha, started to use cordéis and baptisms,
influenced by the changes of Capoeira.
Capoeira was preserved and restricted by shows and
presentations, that associate a acrobatic Capoeira
with Maculelê (art recovered by Mestre Popó, from
Santo Amaro), Puxada de Rede, Roda de Samba and show
rituals created by Mestre Canjiquinha. That was the
surviving strategy of the Capoeira. Mestre João
Grande, who went to New York (USA) and today is
reciving several awards for the preservation of the
black art, had qit the Capoeira, and was working in a
gas station in Salvador. Thanks to Mestre Cobrinha’s
and GCAP’s insistence, he return to Capoeira in 1984.
In 1986, Mestre Nenel (biological son of Mestre Bimba)
decides to recover the original Regional of his
father, creating the Filhos de Bimba Escola de
Capoeira, warning how the 'Contemporânea' separated
from the pure Regional.
In 1992, I went to live in Belo Horizonte and joined
the Grupo Iúna de Capoeira Angola, with the teachers
Primo, João and Wagner, that, today, ten years later,
are considered Mestres. For personal reasons, every
month I used to travel by south and southeast, and
also travel to research in the northeast of Brazil. So
I could see, in the practice (in rodas and trainings),
the several Capoeiras practiced in the 90’s. I’ve done
contact with many capoeiristas, such as Nino Faísca
from Olinda-PE, which was the capoeirista who created
the first group dedicated only to Angola in Curitiba,
and today is in Germany as teacher of the Associação
Angola Dobrada de Capoeira Angola, coordinated by
Mestre Rogério (who created the Iúna).
A text of Alejandro Frigerio published in 1989,
“Capoeira: de arte negra a esporte branco” (Capoeira:
from black art to white sport) (*23), was a reference
for the ones who would like to study the differences
of the capoeiras. Today I see that the Frigerio’s
analysis wasn’t about Angola and Regional’s
differences, but the differences between Angola and
the "Contemporânea". Frigerio didn’t found the pure
Regional, and, even today, this dichotomy is present.
Who practice Capoeira, in most of the groups is
learning the Capoeira "Contemporânea". Learns the
'angola-e-regional'. The roda starts with a slow
rhythm, the ‘angola’ and then the rhythm speeds: the
‘regional’. Frigério talks about this difference
between ‘regional’ and ‘atual’ in some interviews. For
a research of only eight months from 1983 to 1987 he
had interesting results. I agree with much of his
approach, but I disagree with the “slow music” as a
intrinsic characteristic of Angola. Otherwise he made
a great job, even that his research was made only in
two groups of Capoeira Angola. I think Angola comports
a great possibility o rhythms, from the slow to the
fast, what will not define the players movement. In
the Capoeira the music is not only a background that
defines the rhythm; it’s part of the game dialog and
the player can “break the rules” for unknowing or
boldness(*3).
With the growing and “modernization” process of the
Capoeira, when it started to spread to the entire
Brazil and other countries, the "Contemporânea" had
amplified in a geometric progression, while the Angola
shirked as the original Regional. In the 60’s, both
were getting weak and almost dead in the 70’s. In the
80’s the Angola is revived by GCAP and the Regional by
the Filhos de Bimba and, in the 90’s, the style’s
definition. Conflicts among groups and mestres bring
the concepts of these titles and styles relativity.
Each group is defined by its way and the semantic
confusion is part of the capoeiras in this millennium
change.
“Mestre Pastinha died with 92 years old saying that he
was learning the Angola. How is possible someone know
both styles?” This question represents the philosophy
that look for define the limits of the styles. The
history has shown how was possible this fusion, but
the Capoeira movement internally operates to
recuperate concepts in a live practice that is the
ritual of the rodas. The Regional follow the steps of
the Angola and both survive and preserve their unity,
letting "Contemporânea" write its history. The Angola
is back to its essence with a movement from bottom,
causing a position change that keeps questioning the
other capoeiras. Also keeps questioning itself to keep
on movement.
... final and initial considerations.

In 1993, the Soma research gave its first results. The
Soma’s therapist joint with Roberto Freire profounded
themselves in Capoeira Angola, criating a place for’s
Mestre Pastinha’s Angola, which was the first place
dedicated only for this art in SP: the Tesão – Soma’s
house, in Perdizes. At the same time, Mestre Almir da
Areias, created his “Soma-Capoeira” project, agrouping
Angola, Regional and anothers Capoeira’s style in only
one. This haven’t nothing to do with somaterapy or
Soma’s proposal, which is just to live Angola.

Another kind of confusion, is the anarchist question,
that is bad view for many people, because of politic
leftist and rightist attempt to confound anarchism
with disorder or mass. Through denunciation about
authoritarism, the anarchism, and also Angola, have
been producing a permanent criticism about the
relationship that produce on social movement.
Nowadays, the proper anarchism moviment, is
authoritarism contaminated, Soma-Iê fights against
that, living and searching the self management. Thats
a daily search; on the study’s groups of Capoeira
we’re approched of Bantu’s culture, in concern with
power descentralization and humam dignity respect
(don’t confound with citizenhood, always a conflict
conception *24). A great difficult thing in society is
living in self management, and mainly macro scale
association possible in Pierre-Joseph Prodhoun teory
described in the book “ Do princípio federativo”, but
rarely pratical lived. Experience that daily happends
on the Angola’s dialogs.

The tecnical aspects can change, but as a terminology
exemplification, will analise the bateria. Mestre
Pastinha showed that in bateria the berimbau is
indispensable. The Angola’s retakin by GCAP, Mestre
Moraes defined Capoeira’s bateria composed by three
berimbaus, two pandeiros, atabaque, agogô and
reco-reco. And other groups like Mestre JoãoPequeno e
Mestre Curió’s already used similar bateria on that
time. Many groups have this battery composition as
“law”, having in mind that it isn’t the principal
thing that define the capoeira style. Mestre Bimba
from Regional, nowadays perform with one berimbau and
two pandeiros, according to Mestre Boca Rica, used to
have also one reco-reco.

The instruments arrivel, happened in different ways,
the belly’s berimbau came to Capoeira among XIX
century. Before, in place of wire, were used the
“cipó-de-imbé” (lane’s imbé) and also the mouth
berimbau. In social live, berimbau were used by
hawkers to call people’s attencion. The name berimbau
have portuguese and spanish origin and was transfered
to the African’s instruments that is one of the most
antique of humanity(*25). Atabaque came to Capoeira
aproximated in XX century, on Capoeira’s
institucionalization. In spite of consist in the
classical ilustration of Johann Moritz Rugendas (in
1830, considered the oldest capoeira’s play design)
the atabaque didn’t continued in the history. Also,
there’s versions that who had introduced it recently
was Mestre Canjiquinha. If in Rio de Janeiro, capital
of Imperie, penetrated the razor, “Bahia have
contributed, in the musical part, introducing the
pandeiro, caxixi and reco-reco, replaying the hand
clapping; and the belly’s berimbau with steel cord,
with sonorous voice and much more recourse as the
mouth’s one.

In 90’s decade, I’ve seen groups changing and
variating instruments, some that were using only one
berimbau, nowadays are using three berimbaus. In the
superficial aspect, changed from Regional to Angola,
but in the tecnique music aspects, the kind of toque,
the tuning of each berimbau and it’s function in
Capoeira’s play, they weaken Angola’s propost, rising
the confusion and discharacterization.

So, I’m trying to separate objetive aspects, like
uniform color, bateria, music, etc; to subjective
aspects, like intentions and relationships created in
Angola’s play. To understand the brazilian-afro
mistery it needs a big devotation. We can surpass the
“objectiveness without parenthesis” of the objective
analyses to work the “objetiveness between
parenthesis” (*27) in Capoeira. Soma-Iê wanna change
the conceits, putting everyboby as observers: direct
action producing exchanges inside and outside roda.
Each one will make the choice between ilusion or
perception. Angola’s art is against the dominant
alienation. Today, also groups of Angola that don’t
keep contact with differents Mestres angoleiros may
change capoeira style. ’Cause Angola alive and on
movement is the whole of pratitioner and its
reciprocal exchanges.

As I studied two years of contemporânea and ten years
of pure Angola., I don’t have any competence to talk
about Regional. I only have same teoric knowlege. In
Angola, I’ll be competent to express myself in it with
more than ten years of experience. I have no hurry
‘cause I still have 30 years to get there. The
semantic aspects always make confusions when trying to
explain the differences of Capoeira’s style. But, is
almost impossible a teoric explain about Capoeira,
only through the personal experience that’s possible
understading Capoeira. This text is a research part,
where I wanna show the “powerful effects” contained in
Angola for human life while terapy, criativity
liberation, and energetic liberation, etc. The
wealthiness of this universe is the diversity. In this
aspect, Capoeira copy nature in its biodiversity.
Everyday, we’re discovering newness, “movement is
life”.

My intent in this text is became clear style’s
denomination, remembering that inside any style every
group have their own differences. Much more important
than names is what each player practice, and, in this
aspect, Capoeira have one unity. Anyway, each one has
its own manner to express yourself, playing Capoeira
is the unity in the diversity.

It’s from this practice that I ask you: Which’s yours
Capoeira? Each one is “writing” its history corporaly
to keep Capoeira.

I’ve been observing three environments and the best
synthesis would be a long permanence of styles:
- Contemporânea is the most divulged. In this
category, are all nomination with less than 50 years
of existence, here are the majority of groups and
academys. There are any names: “Angola e Regioanl”,
“Regional-Moderna”, “Soma-Capoeira”, “Capoeira
free-style”, “Hydro-Capoeira”, Capoeira mixed with
fights (boxing, muay-thai, etc). In 90’s decade, some
of this styles tried to approximate itselfs to
Angola’s style, making all kind of confusions because
everybody have the right to learn what they wants, but
in this categorization thisangoleiros contemporâneos
get difference to ones who play exclusively Angola.
- Pure Regional of Mestre Bimba, have as divulged and
discovered Mestre Nenel. This style passed by changes
along 80 years of existence.
- Pure Angola has Mestre Pastinha as biggest icon.
Have 400 years of existence, and some pratic and
teoric variation. In this category, aren’t accept
competition and championship, ‘Cause the best on the
roda can’t be measured. Each one contributs with your
best for the roda, and potencialise the colective
energy that returns to him. Soma-Iê works in this
propost joint with terapy groups associated to
”Coletivos Iê” from São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and
Curitiba. In spite we don’t have a Mestre to patronize
us, we’re searching to don’t mix or deform the
Angola’s essence, permanent producing worshops with
Mestres angoleiros. One reference besides GCAP (*29)
is ABCA (Brazilian Association of Capoeira Angola)
that possibilitaded the return of Mestres that had
stoped for more than 20 years or Mestres that had
changed to another style of Capoeira and now returned
to Angola. And a lot of angoleiros spread theirselves
all over the world, already mentioned and others like
Mestre Curió, Mestre Roberval e Mestre Laércio and the
not mentioned the older capoeiristas like Mestre
Antônio Diabo de Jequié.

This categorization (*30) may be used for groups and
rodas, but is about Capoeira, and Capoeira’s players
I’m trying to define. So, if Mestre Bimba was an
Angoleiro and had criated Regional, any one can change
his own style, that’s not a tittle get by a Mestre
angoleiro that will define his style. Mestre João
Pequeno, the biggest living of Angola, formed Mestres
in Minas Gerais that in this categorization aren’t
angoleiros. There are also older Mestres that are
Angoleiros who created students and Mestres non
angoleiros; some Angola’s master (Brasília master and
Sergipe are some exemples). Capoeira is practice not
teoric. If a Mestre had his formation in Angola or
Regional, and don’t follow one of that, I try to frame
his style in the diary practice of his group and
students.

This categorization isn’t better or worse. I’m only
trying to show a way to look to Capoeira, that I have
been developing in the last years, in the practice,
experience and research. In spite of styles having
trainings and rodas that define their diary practice,
anyone can play in a different style, but it need to
be respected the local ritual, which keep the
possibility to call all of this CAPOEIRA. In many
events old Mestres are invited to valorize them, other
times to try to use their names. This limits are
inaccuratted secondary if the Mestre are respected.

Mestre Pastinha is the defensor of individuality
(“each one is each one, nobody plays like me”) that’s
fundamental in Angola. After wise, the infiltration of
the militarization and padronization can
descharacterize Angola in the actual global economic
context (*31). Even groups that were fundamental in
the rescue of Angola, by persisting in only one
padronization, can debilate it. The “Cobra Mansa” of
Mestre Pastinha, Mestre João Pequeno is fundamental
nowadays, ‘cause besides been the most important
capoeirista alive, and in activity, he brought again
the ritualistic elements of Capoeira. Only him, with
85 years old, can brought in his curriculum 71 years
of Capoeiragem.

I wish critiques and sugestions to increase my
perceptions here presented to retributed in new texts
(some corrections will be in my book), I’m looking for
‘sincerity’ not ‘truth’. In the last decades, with
videos, photos and archives, there are capoeiristas
trying to invent (lie) their past, A question that can
be a dialog or defiance, in the Capoeira’s play and in
life. Inside all Capoeira’s style, I ask you: Which’s
yours?

I can define the other, and each one can define
themselves. In this way, we can confront concepts.
Defining the others could mien authoritarism, a way to
defend myself (closing) but is also can be part of my
liberty’s right. The authoritarism is also moveble in
the relation and not just in concepts. ‘Cause concepts
show the practice it’s daily modificated by the
relation of the person with the environment “I’m a
Angola’s player, yes I am ... and I ask to Kamugerê,
which’s yours?”

“To have more certains, I need to know about imperfections”
“Para ter mais certezas tenho que  me saber de imperfeições”
Manoel de Barros

Rui Takeguma
Soma-Iê therapist, anarchist, photografer and Iê’s
teacher – Angola’s Capoeira Anarchist Group from São
Paulo, member of FACA.

São Paulo, fevereiro de 2002

Observations:

*1 – His own enemy and establishment’s spokesman, The
New York Times journal, had to recognize him as “the
most important living intelectual in present time”.
Chomsky is a declarated anarchist and professor from
Massachusetts Institute of Tecnology (MIT-EUA). Also,
Chomsky, with his perception capacity about
international politic, made a mistake by classify the
government from Rio Grande do Sul (or prefecture from
Porto Alegre) as “from workmen” during a oppening
discourse from 2° Mundial Social Forum, in the
beginning of 2002. The PT (workmen party), may have
different intentions relatined to the other party, but
in the pratice repeat the same powerful and
exploration structure, keeping the social inequality
and diverging from a quickly and revolutionary action:
the transformation in my body, here and now.
*2 – Roberto Freire, 75 years old, writer, and Soma’s
creator. In the beginning of 2002, happeneds my
separation with Soma preticated by “Coletivo
Brancaleone” and Roberto Freire coming back to
Brancaleone, choosing a lonely research in Soma
therapy, called: “Manifesto Soma-Iê” – 2002, janeiro.
*3 - Libertárias n°2 magazine, nov./dez.1997,
“Capoeira Angola a arte da liberdade”, by Rui
Takeguma. This text can be find in:
http://somaterapia.vilabol.uol.com.br/artigos.html
*4 - Dr. Fu-Kiau’s discourse (Lemba Institute-NY/USA)
during the III Encontro Internacional de Capoeira
Angola, from Fundação internacional de Capoeira Angola
(International Fundation of Angola’s Capoeira) (FICA),
Salvador-BA, August, 1997.
*5 – “O folclore negro do Brasil”, by Arthur Ramos,
Rio de Janeiro 1935. The relationship between
Brasil-Angola is another history to be telled. In
spite of portuguese had been the unique europeans to
pratice oficial fightings to capture africans, the
brazilians were the unique american nation to help
them in this violences. In 1648, from Rio de Janeiro
left the expeditionary force of Salvador de Sá (armada
and financiated by fluminenses farmers) that
reactivated the traffic from Brasil after expel the
hollanders from Luanda. Was a paraibano, André Vidal
de Negreiros, governor from Angola, who destroyed
Congo’s Kingdom, antique sovereign of native kingdom
of Angola, on the Ambuíla Battle, in 1665. (by Luiz
Felipe de Alencastro, Nós em Angola, Angola em nós,
Veja magazine, 11/27/1996)
*6 – “Liberdade por um fio – História dos Quilombos no
Brasil” organizaded by João Reis and Flávio dos Santos
Gomes, São Paulo 1996.
*7 – “Breve histórico sobre a Capoeira” by Moraes
master, published in magazines and GCAP’s site:
http:/www.gacp.com.br . This is written by Luís Câmara
Cascudo (Folclore do Brasil,1967) and defended by
Pastinha master, after he had gone to Africa on 1966.
*8 – interview from GINGA CAPOEIRA magazine,n°5 –
2001.
*9 – “Capoeira e mandingas – Cobrinha Verde”, by
Marcelino dos Santos, Salvador 1991.
*10 – “Capoeira Angola”, by Pastinhas master, Salvador
1964.
*11 - “Los Conjurados Del Quilombo Del Gran Chaco”, by
Augusto Rao Bastos, the principal paraguayan writer
and one of the most importants from latin-american
literature. On 1989 recepted the Cervantes premium –
the most important of Spanish.
*12 – “A Capoeira é brasileira”, by Luiz Carlos K.
Rocha, MUNDO CAPOEIRA magazine, may 1999.
*13 – “A negregrada instituição: os capoeiras no Rio
de Janeiro”, by Carlos Eugênio Líbano Soares, Rio de
Janeiro, 1994.
*14 – “A Lei Áurea revisitada”, by José Luiz Werneck
da Silva, Negros Brasileiros supplement, CIÊNCIA HOJE
magazine,n °48, novembro 1988.
*15 – “Zumbi dos Palmares: Identidade Nacional e
Democracia” by Maria Lúcia Montes.
*16 – “Les Brésil em 1889: les zones agricoles”, by
André Rebouças, 1889.
*17 – A - “Capoeira: Matriz Cultural para uma Educação
Física brasileira”, by Sérgio Luiz Vieira, 1997.
B – “As raízes da Regional”, Ângelo Decânio. Revista
da Bahia, v.32,n°33.Julho de 2001.
*18 – Tribuna da Bahia jounal, Salvador, Febrery 7°,
1974.
*19 – “Mestre Pastinha – cada um é cada um, ninguém
luta do meu jeito”, by Rui Takeguma, written for
CORDÃO BRANCO magazine in 01/30/2002, Tesão cultural
local, São Paulo. Home-page from IÊ-Grupo anarquista
de Capoeira Angola.
*20 – “Canjiquinha – Alegria da Capoeira”, by Antônio
Moreira.
*21 – “O mundo de pernas para o ar – A Capoeira no
Brasil”, by Letícia Vidor de Souza Reis, 1997.
*22 – Discourse engraved in video during I Encontro
Nacional de Capoeira Angola de Belo Horizonte, on
1999. For me, that were the most important event about
Capoeira I had participated, not only because of the
Mestres, but also ‘cause it was realised by almost all
Capoeira’s groups from Belo Horizonte, different from
events promoted by one or some few groups It happeneds
in large scale by the “fight” of Mestre Primo from
Iúna’s Group.
*23 –Revista Brasileira de Estudos Sociais, v.4 n°10,
1989. Are described important things for Frigério:
malice, complemantation, lower play, not violence,
beautiful movements, slow music, ritual importancy,
theatriacal.
*24 – As Anarchists, we don´t mind about the
participation in nacional politic, defending state or
native country. We’re internationalist. Brazil on
2002, that keep the misery in the high part of
population, deposite every month two billions dollars
of interest on a FMI debt, criated in the military
govermnent.
*25 – “O Berimbau-de-Barriga e seus toques”, by Kay
Shaffer, folkloric monograph 2, 1977.
*26 – “O jogo da Capoeira – 24 desenhos de Carybé”, by
Carybé, Bahia, 1955.
*27 – “Emoções e linguagem na educação e na política”,
by Humberto Maturana. The Capoeira, as a whole, keep a
“objetiveness between parenthesis”, that possibilitate
us being in the same history and growth – accepting
the other independent of style, letting (vadiar) play
on roda. Also the responsable negation of this
objetiveness, percepting the moment to stop playing
and putting limits to the other person. So we can take
Angola outside elements like hierarchy and
competitiveness, inherent in the actual environment.
We can and we should react through the organism
relation evolution (Angola) with the environment
(Capoeira).
*28 – Anarchist propost: living in self management. We
have a lot to learn with this strategics and
practices. Learning with liberty teory, to live the
Angola’s play in social life, outside roda
*29 – Direct derivations of GCAP, I believe is, CECARJ
(Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola do Rio de
Janeiro) and FICA (Fundação Internacional de Capoeira
Angola). Indirect derivations are groups without
formal structure, that is, without Mestre, even with
they had learn, and are still learning, as for
exemple, Iúna, from Belo Horizonte, Angola Dobrada and
also Aprendizes de Angola, that had existed in
Curitiba. Are few Angola’s groups exclusively. On
cities like Curitiba, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte are
less than ten Angola’s groups, between hundreds and
thousands of Capoeira “Contemporânea”. In Curitiba and
Florianópolis, who formed on of the first Capoeira
group was Somaterapy. Is on Bahia where the biggest
diversity roots of Angola is still preserved.
*30 – Looking for bases on the thinking way of the
chilean biologist Humberto Maturana Romesín
(“everything is said through the observer”), I’ m
trying that this caracterization means much more to
“distinguish” than “classify”. My thanks for this
revision text, to some friends and fellows from Iê, in
special to Marcão from Belo Horizonte, Marcos Vinícius
Bortolus. Besides text edition, done by the poet André
Pessôa, and the final revision, by Juliana Freire.
*31 – Profound as the dictatorship inclined to this
function in the nacional history would be interesting,
‘cause the government, from top to the bottom, tend to
spread and reflect in society its rigid structure. The
Angola, as the anarchism, born from which person, and
is everyday harmonizing with the interpersonnel
conflicts. In Capoeira it happeneds in roda. The
anarchism could be a way to increase this corporal
experience to the quotidian conflicts, producing a
self management society, from bottom to the top. Not
without rules, but with moving rules, resulted from
now and here conflicts, between people in an equality
position and with expressions liberty.
*32 – After the end of this text, was in the “Folha de
São Paulo” journal, from 24 de janeiro de 2002 the
article “Empresa Brasileira é branca e masculina”
(“Brazilian companies are white and sexist”): Women
and niggers are sub-represented inside brazilian
companies. The nigger and mullato, for exemplo – are
46% of the country population - , occupy a quantity of
6% of the administration vagancy in the companies
nowadays. That’s only one exemple that the abolition
is only in the paper and not in the social relations
as a whole. The fight was never niggersXwhite or
womenXmen, but between who is in the top and in the
bottom. (zapatism and anarchism)

Iê - inicial

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