O Povo Brasileiro / The Brazilian People
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xz9pfxErQE]
(Captions can be turned on using the ‘cc’ option, on the far right arrow – pointing up – bellow the youtube screen)
“We come from the confluence, the cultural shock, the mingling of the Portuguese invader with our native Indians and African natives. We are a syncretic culture a new people who, despite being the off spring of the fusion of different matrices behave as one people not holding on to the past. We are open to the future. (Ribeiro; 1995)”
Whenever I have a chance, when I’m invited to events, I like to show this documentary “O Povo Brasileiro” based on Darcy Ribeiro’s book. It is an extensive work compound of 10 interesting chapters, however, due to our lack of time, we usually cover only 2 to 3 of them. After what I tell everyone that Darcy’s book can be found in English and that everyone interested in understanding Capoeira more in depth should go for it.
The birth of Capoeira is part of socio-historical processes in Brazil. These processes, though difficult to understand with a western mind-set, are possible to be understood by anyone keen to study them. Oppressed and united slaves and marginalised freedman from different African and Indigenous nations and their half-castles (Nengríndios and Brasilíndios), opposed the Euro-centric colonial enterprise for centuries. The struggles of the oppressed minorities throughout Brazilian history fostered a premature sense of otherness uniting them and creating a syncretic culture capable to uphold myths, rhythms, values and rituals from all its forging ethnicities.
Capoeira originates as an empowering tool for all these minority groups. It borns from intercultural procedures creating a new hybrid culture. Only after the 1980s, with the suffering of westernisation processes it begins to be understood by some as a hyphenated Art-form (Afro-Brazilian martial art).
The western society with its addiction of explaining everything by means of segmenting it into its parts, usually incurs in reductionism; as these segmented concepts can never translate the wholeness of the phenomenon in itself.
Edgar Amorin , a French philosopher and Educator, warns us against the ‘reducer spirit’. In his words “to reduce the knowledge of the complex to one of its elements considered to be the most significant one, has worse consequences in ethics than it has in physical knowledge” (Amorin; 2001). This is exactly what westernisation does with Capoeira; turns a syncretic and intercultural Art-form into a one sentence translated reduction. Capoeira is neither a ‘martial-art’ nor an strictly ‘Afro-Brazilian’ art-form. Chiefly, because it is not only just a martial-art neither African descendant only; Capoeira represents much more than these two reductive sentences are capable to depict.
Capoeira is interdisciplinary, because it is simultaneously composed by diverse features (fight, dance, theatre, poetry, music, playfulness, etc.); and it cannot be reduced to one of these featues only. And it is Brazilian because it draws its birth “from [the] confluence, the cultural shock, the mingling of the Portuguese invader with our native Indians and African natives”. Also because as part of the Brazilian legacy, Capoeira was born as “a syncretic culture” that “despite being the off spring of the fusion of different matrixes…” made itself purposeful and cohesive addressing that unique socio-cultural context.
The understanding of the context of oppression in Brazil fostering a sense of otherness amongst different minorities and creating new cultures is capital to the understanding of the socio-cultural context in which Capoeira was born. So it is to the understanding of its role as a purposeful socio-cultural and educative tool, within our societies today.
Darcy Ribeiro is one of the main resources available to achieve this sort of understanding. I recommend the reading of his book “The Brazilian People: The Formation and Meaning of Brazil” as a way to understand Capoeira. But meanwhile you cannot read it, check this documentary based on his work. I’m sure you will be enlightened about the origins of Capoeira as a hybrid and interdisciplinary Art-form.
Enjoy it! And make sure you watch all the chapters.
References:
Morin, Edgar. (2001). Os Sete Saberes Necessários à Educação do Futuro [Les sept savoirs nécessaires à l'éducacion du futur]. Brasília, DF, Brazil: Unesco
Ribeiro, D. (1995). O Povo Brasileiro: A Formação e o Sentido do Brazil [The Brazilian People: The Formation and Meaning of Brazil]. São Paulo: Schwarcz LTDA.
Tags: Education, intercultural learning, westernization of cultures
oi,
you say “Capoeira represents much more than these two reductive sentences are capable to depict.”, and I agree. The whole is more than the sum of parts, which makes it difficult for me to explain what exactly capoeira IS. I found the deeper I get into capoeira, the more complex it becomes – partially because I too “mingle” and mix my own capoeira as it becomes part of me and I become part of It. Like religion, and art appreciation, or politics, we must understand that every person takes from capoeira what he or she seeks, needs, or wants. I think every capoeirista will know there are as many styles as there are players (even though even the capoeiristas themselves have tried to “box” capoeira into categories!!!), just as there are as many shades of islam as there are muslims etc or visions as there are politicians.
The growing of capoeira globally forces it to mingle interculturally and this in itself will change the face of capoeira and make it grow and adapt. Like “O Povo Brasileiro” I think there could (but won’t) eventually be “Um Povo da Capoeira” which is formed by different cultures and philosophies just as “The Brasilians” as a people have come from various tribes with a sauce of Portuguese invasion etc.
However, I think we are justified in comparing this process in capoeira to the becoming of O Povo Brasileiro because of its roots, but I think we can see these parallels in more cultures and we can apply this theory to other philosophies etc. It is not unique to capoeira! Just look at New Zealand as a country or flamenco as the art form with so many influences. I find myself drawn to these art forms in life because I like mixture. For me it represents open-mindedness and freedom (of both physical and spiritual movement). Hence I think capoeira doesn’t suit narrow-minded people or people who are rigid or conservative in their beliefs (funnily enough to a certain extent these “black and white”thinking people do pop up every now and again for a short time and add their own personal touch to capoeira in general or a group in particular!).
I see capoeira as a representation of life – mixing of and changing between thoughts and ideas, highs and lows, wins and losses, questions and answers, centre and periphery, start and finish. But still it’s neverending, the learning, the game, the growing. “A Roda”. You do something together but everyone has their own input. There are expectations but never prejudice, attempts but never failure – just like in life.
I’m having a bit of trouble keeping my train of thought here but I hope you catch my drift! And that it makes sense what I say.
Thanks CM, see you soon.
Axe
DonAna,
Capoeira is cause and effect of Brazilianity. It’s myth and history of the Brazilian people.
Capoeira is made by everyone who engages with it, and yet it doesn’t belong to no one. The best way of upholding its principles is to understand that it´s not a ’stand-alone’ culture, that its inner concepts are tied to intercultural processes; not to myths of purism.
You’re right when you say that there other parallels. For instance, to tap on your dance metaphor, a lot of people around the world practice yoga, not as a practice part of a spiritual system, but as a workout class detached from its early cultural and philosophical context. The same happens with Capoeira, a libertarian tool, used by corporation-like groups to brain-wash and exploit practitioners worldwide.
I think the lesson to be learnt here is about westernisation of cultures, practices of market reserve (when people try to tel us where to go, what to practice) and how we’ll deal with it.
Thanks for your contribution once more!
Axé!
Eurico