![]() ![]() It was a tool with which an escaped slave, completely unequipped, could survive in the hostile, unknown land and face the hunt of the capitães-do-mato, the armed and mounted colonial agents who were charged with finding and capturing escapees. Īlthough slaves often outnumbered colonists, rebellions were rare because of the lack of weapons, harsh colonial law, disagreement between slaves coming from different African cultures, and lack of knowledge about the new land and its surroundings.Ĭapoeira originated as a product of the Angolan tradition of " Engolo" but became applied as a method of survival that was known to slaves. Slaves, living in inhumane conditions, were forced to work hard and often suffered physical punishment for small infractions. Portuguese colonists created large sugarcane farms called " engenhos", literally "engines" (of economic activity), which depended on the labor of slaves. In its first century, the main economic activity in the colony was the production and processing of sugar cane. In the Brazilian colony, the Portuguese, like many European colonists, chose to use slavery to build their economy. In the 16th century Portugal had claimed one of the largest territories of the colonial empires, but lacked people to colonize it, especially workers. Painting of capoeirista fighting in Brazil c. On 26 November 2014, capoeira was granted a special protected status as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. In the late 1970s, trailblazers such as Mestre Acordeon started bringing capoeira to the US and Europe, helping the art become internationally recognized and practiced. In doing so, the government viewed capoeira as a socially acceptable sport. However, in the early 1930s, Mestre Bimba created a form of capoeira that held back on its spiritual elements and incorporated elements of jiu jitsu, gymnastics and sports. ![]() Shortly after the abolition of slavery in Brazil in 1888, capoeira was declared illegal in 1890. Though often said to be a martial art disguised as a dance, capoeira served not only as a form of self defense, but also as a way to maintain spirituality and culture. A practitioner of the art is called a capoeirista ( Portuguese pronunciation: ). Although debated, the most widely accepted origin of the word capoeira comes from the Tupi words ka'a ("forest") paũ ("round"), referring to the areas of low vegetation in the Brazilian interior where fugitive slaves would hide. It emphasizes flowing movements rather than fixed stances the ginga, a rocking step, is usually the focal point of the technique. It is known for its acrobatic and complex maneuvers, often involving hands on the ground and inverted kicks. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th century, capoeira is a constantly evolving art form. Capoeira or the Dance of War by Johann Moritz Rugendas, 1825, published in 1835Ĭapoeira ( Portuguese pronunciation: ) is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. ![]()
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