LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Capoeira: Capoeira Angola
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Capoeira Angola, an ancient martial art of African origin, is one of the many cultural weapons used to break the chains of enslavement in Brazil. Played close to the ground, Capoeira Angola combines fluid, dance-like movements with kicks, head butts, tripping sweeps and the appearance of playfulness or vulnerability. Music is played on traditional instruments to accompany the players, to teach the rhythmic heart of the art, and ... to mask its power. In the eyes of the enslavers it appeared to be a joking and playful acrobatic dance, but eventually its power was realized and Capoeira was outlawed. Death was the penalty paid by those caught playing Capoeira during the slavery era. For almost 400 years Capoeira Angola was taught and practiced in secret, and only in the 1930's did this African martial art become legal to teach and practice.
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The father of the best known modern Capoeira Angola schools is considered to be Mestre Pastinha who lived in Salvador, Bahia. Today, most of the capoeira Angola media that is accessible in the United States comes from mestres in Pastinha's lineage. He was not the only Capoeira Angola mestre. However, he is the best known mestre who helped bring more traditional Capoeira philosophy and movements into the modern setting of an academy.
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Capoeira Angola: Fluid, dance like movements done close to the ground. With shifty rythmic movements, combined with the look of playfulness or vulnerability an adversary is brought to defeat. The basic technique through which the Capoeira Angola player develops the game is the Ginga, a shifty side to side movement. At the heart of the art is the music lead by the Berimbau, a steel stringed bow instrument with a gourd resonator. When Capoeira Angola is played the Berimbau signals the beginning and the end of each game, and governs the style and speed of the play. The Berimbau is usually joined by the Pandeiro (Tambourine), the Agogo (African bell), and the Atabaque (a conga-like drum).
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Entering Mestre João Grande's Academy, you can feel the energy of Capoeira Angola. The room is filled with berimbaus, the primary musical instrument of capoeira. Galleries of rare photos of Capoeira Angola's storied past, as well as photos from Mestre's travels around the globe, cover the walls. Mestre has a great appreciation for African culture, both from Africa itself and as it manifests in Brazil. Beautiful African sculptures, textiles and innumerable mementos from Bahia decorate the academy.
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Capoeira Angola: (pronounced Capo-air-a Ang-o-la): One of many cultural weapons used to break the chains of enslavement in Brazil. Music was played during Capoeira sessions to teach the rhythmic heart of the art and to mask its power. In front of the enslavers it looked like playfulness, acrobatic dancing, and joking around. Eventually the enslavers realized its power and outlawed Capoeira Angola. Death was the penalty paid if you were caught during the slavery years. For almost 400 years Capoeira Angola was taught and practiced in secret.
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The Chamada is a ritual that takes place within the game of Capoeira Angola. Chamada means 'call', and consists of one player 'calling' their opponent to participate in the ritual. There is an understood dialogue of gestures of the body that are used to call the opponent, and to signal the end of the ritual. The ritual consists of one player signalling, or calling the opponent, who then approaches the player and meets the player to walk side by side within the roda. The player who initiated the ritual then decides when to signal an end to the ritual, whereby the two players return to normal play. The critical points of the chamada occur during the approach, and the chamada is considered a 'life lesson', communicating the fact that the approach is a dangerous situation.
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Capoeira Angola