Capoeira in Bahia

​By Alaina Rivero & Tania Salgado

One thing Pedro has reiterated on this trip is to take risks and be uncomfortable so you can learn. In the past week of being in Brazil we have stepped out of our comfort zones and ate chicken heart, hiked what seemed to be a million miles up a mountain, and took some dance lessons and watched back videos Pedro took of us only to realize how stiff we are. We have learned so much in such a short time and the days seem to go by terribly fast. We have had lectures about religion, native people, and education in Brazil. But one workshop in specific has piqued our interest. Capoeira is something both Alaina and I have been mesmerized with.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial arts form that incorporates acrobatics, dance, percussion, and rhythmic dialogue of body, mind, and spirit. There have been records of Africans and slaves dancing and playing instruments in the 17th century (Pinho 2020, 6). This dance holds power as it has been kept alive and is still taught to kids. We have seen capoeira being performed a few times both in Salvador and Lençóis, and each time we are amazed at how history is kept alive and embraced through music and dance.

On our second day in Salvador, we had a capoeira workshop led by Mestre Sapoti. He first talked about the background of capoeira. It is not certain if capoeira is a dance or a fight. It starts with two people shaking hands and then beginning to move to dodge the opponents’ hits. The group of students that were there with Mestre Sapoti demonstrated for us what capoeira looks like. We loved seeing them do cool tricks like handstands, cartwheels, aerials, and other gymnastic moves.
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After the demonstration, Mestre Sapoti taught us some basic capoeira moves. We paired up trying out the new dance moves feeling more confident in what we were doing. After a few minutes of practicing, he stops us and brings out the musical instruments. He describes each instrument and plays the beat of the song that the students were dancing to. He gives some of us instruments to play while the rest of us sit in a circle. This part of the workshop ties back to what we had read in class about the several municipal laws that were enacted to prohibit “the display of African customs with drumming” (Pinho 2020, 7). Clearly there was no success in the prohibition of displaying African customs with drumming. This goes to show how Afro-Brazilians can never be silenced.

Besouro playing capoeira in Lencois, Bahia.

On the bus ride to Mosquito Waterfall near Lençóis, a movie was played titled Besouro. In this movie there was romance, killing, and capoeira, which in this movie it was used in both ways (playing, self-defense). Capoeira can be peaceful and slow movements but can also be used to protect yourself from danger. In this movie kids from the community were being taught capoeira at an incredibly youthful age, the children then practiced with one another and realized that instead of playing with each other they can become a strong force when they work together. Later in the movie there was a scene of a guy that was the bad guy, he was trying to kill Besouro because he wanted to free the slaves. Besouro did what he knows best and used his skills with capoeira to fight the powerful men. This movie shows an overlapping of a cultural tradition, empowerment, and resilience. 

​While in Lençóis, we visited Academia de Mestre Cascudo. This academy taught capoeira to both young boys and girls. We first interacted with the kids by making bracelets and t-shirts. After we all got together in a circle and Mestre Cascudo explained to us the history of capoeira. He goes on to explain the importance of capoeira and how it comes from African descent. It is a type of empowerment and breaks the bonds of slavery. And to be a master of capoeira, you need to be fluent in Brazilian Portuguese. He then proceeds to point out the artwork around the walls. Above him are important capoeira figures. After a quick summary of the history of capoeira, the kids showed off their capoeira skills. It was so fun to see kids dance with each other and adults as well. Watching capoeira is truly a mesmerizing view and we can’t get enough of it. 

Corda Bamba Capoeira School, led by Mestre Cascudo

​We both have been amazed at the way empowerment and history lives on through capoeira. We see the power capoeira holds as it continues to embrace the history of Afro-Brazilian people. We understand the importance of keeping capoeira alive and are grateful that we are able to have this experience. We are absolutely loving Brazil and its culture and can’t wait to tell others about everything we’ve learned. 

Sources:
“Capoeira History.” ABADÁ-Capoeira San Francisco (blog). Accessed May 23, 2024.
https://www.abada.org/capoeira-history/

Capoeira workshop with Mestre Sapoti at the school of Alianca Francesa May 17, 2024.

Capoeira workshop at Academia de Mestre Cascudo in Lençóis May 20, 2024.
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Pinho, Osmundo. “Race and Cultural Politics in Bahia.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia
of Latin American History, 2020.

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Tania Salgado is a sophomore at CSB+SJU, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Data Analytics. She is from Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Tania has researched the many factors that contribute to violence against women at a worldwide scale. She is continuing her research this summer and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about this issue in Brazil. She can't wait to spend three weeks in Salvador!

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Alaina Rivero is a sophomore at College of Saint Benedicts, Hoping to pursue pharmaceutical sales after college with a major in global business leadership and a minor in biology. She is originally from Dayton, Minnesota. Alaina enjoys staying active, going to the gym, being with family and friends, and shopping. She loves learning about different cultures and how global health plays a role. Something that many people don't know about Alaina is that she swam competitively for 10 years. Alaina can't wait to broaden her knowledge on global health and sales in Brazil!

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