by Sandra Dapper

Created on: June 04, 2007

Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that mixes dance and music with martial arts. It was originally performed by African slaves as a way to undermine the prohibition of violence in any form. The slaves, who were shipped to Brazil between the 1500s and 1800s, combined old traditions with new ones. Capoeira is probably the most prominent result of this meshing of cultures. It was disguised as a dance performed to music, but was in fact a method to fight against the Portuguese army which took part in the shipping of slaves to Brazil.

When slavery was abolished in 1892, former slaves had trouble finding employment in the big cities. Instead, they formed criminal street gangs and practiced capoeira without the effort to disguise it as a dance. These Malandros, as they were called, were a new generation that openly opposed the government. Brazilian police saw capoeira as a threat and it was outlawed. Punishment for practicing capoeira, which included the slicing of the achilles tendon, was so severe that gang members were recognized by nicknames in order to evade the police. Over time, persecution for the art diminished, but capoeirists are still given nicknames to maintain the tradition.

Despite the challenges capoeira faced, it did not die out. The first capoeira school was opened by Mestre Bimba, and the art soon began to grow in popularity. In 1937, Bimba and his students performed for the Brazilian president Getulio Vargas, who was so impressed that he made capoeira the national sport. Some controversy exists around Mestre Bimba because of changes he made to the art in order to avoid the racial stereotypes that commonly accompanied capoeira. Bimba's style is called capoeira regional.

In 1947, a new school was opened by Mestre Pastinha with the aim of preserving the traditional form of capoeira. This was a milestone in the history of capoeira. In the past, it was passed down secretly through generations or practiced in private groups, but Pastinha popularized the art and made it an official form of entertainment. Ironically, now capoeira was reserved for the upper and middle classes, while it had previously been associated with poorer groups.

Today, capoeira is becoming more and more popular. Schools that teach the art exist all over the world, and it is even beginning to appear in movies and on television. Capoeira serves as a huge sense of pride for Brazilians and the Africans who created it.

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