Comments on: O Movimento Novo / A New Movement in Capoeira

By: Self-expression or market reflexion? | 4capoeirathoughts

Self-expression or market reflexion? | 4capoeirathoughts — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:43:23 +0000

[...] More engagement and less (group or style based) ‘of-the-peg-identities’. We need more Movimento Novo; more Bidna Capoeira; and more Urban Ritual. Share/Bookmark This entry was posted in Brazilian [...]

By: 4capoeirathoughts » Blog Archive » Movimento Novo 2010 – 3rd Edition

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:08:42 +0000

[...] the 14th of March of 2010, it took place a new edition of the Movimento Novo in the ‘morro do Cantagalo’, at the Afroreggae venue. Capoeiras from different parts of [...]

By: Sandro Lionello aka Vovo'

Sandro Lionello aka Vovo' — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:51:12 +0000

I would like to point out that as in jazz fundamentalism has no sense , as well in capoeira shoud be. Jazz is evolving with modern time and each artist is following his/her own way then they have jam sessions and they tour the world with their bands or freelancing. They are facing similar difficulties as we are doing .
I see some parallelism in Capoeira : we might speak too much ,not realizing that we can start to walk along and practise what we know, so far.
Let’s just do it. If we follow out sincerity, and if we use our honesty as a compass we can’t fail.
To be continued here and at the event in Gold Coast.
AXE’
VOVO’

By: 4CapoeiraThoughts

4CapoeiraThoughts — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:13:18 +0000

Vovô,
The birth-place of the western civilisation owes a lot to a greco-roman and Jwish-Christian heritage. Problem is that it denies the orient and its wisdom, it attempts to be the only source. The western erudite approach also owes its cartesian dualism to Socrates from who it has developed this addiction of reducing everything into concepts without been able to put together the pieces that in concrete reality can not be grasped apart afterwards.

US Black music is, maybe, the closest manifestation of theirs to the intercultural procedures and the ‘hybridisation processes’ we had in Brazil as tributary to the birth of Capoeira. The predominant influence from many African nations is undeniable! Nevertheless without that specific socio-cultural context in Brazil, in which Amerindians and Europeans participated as well, Capoeira wouldn’t be the same.

Canclini’s theory of ‘hybridisation processes’ would please you, I’m sure! A “socio-cultural process”, as explained by Canclini, is one “in which discrete structures or practices, that pre-existed apart, combine themselves to generate new structures, objects and practices” (Canclini; 2008: XIX). In my view, our practice should be always guided from this stand point; from the early socio-cultural context of the birth of Capoeira as a fight against oppressive and dehumanising forces.

In this way, the understanding of Capoeira’s syncretism, multinational acceptance, potentialities and shortcomings as a social tool towards social inclusion worldwide is intricate. Even more so today when the westernisation of the practice reinforces its grasp, in Brazil and abroad, within a conceptual dualism. Such approach have been leading practitioners and scholars to dwell on dichotomised discussions about erudite and popular; modern and traditional; and pure and hybrid. Taken to an extreme these arguments may be driving both practitioners and scholars to misleading standpoints and attitudes.

If we can take all this into account, I’m sure “innovation , creativity , freedom , … good sense, love and responsibility” will be guiding Capoeira without prejudice and discrimination again.

Axé Vovô!
ps: Your humility denounces that you’re further more wise than you can possibly acknowledge! ;)

By: Sandro Lionello aka Vovo'

Sandro Lionello aka Vovo' — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:55:28 +0000

Ola’ Eurico,
I will start asserting that it is true that we , european people, like written rules and written instruction .For centuries we had been tought by means of ancient written texts and books. From here comes our shape of mind and It looks easy to us to learn whatever the matter in this way.
The same for myself, but one day of my life I met an african drummer . It was a very big event for me: he introduced me to the world of drumming without any written word. I had to learn by my sensitivity , my feeling , and I had to avoid thinking too much. The music was supposed to come out of my hands via my heart. I do not have the genes of a black man,but I could understand the potential of such a way to teach. Along that period with him, entire walls of my intellectual infrastructures collapsed. I let myself to go and I changed a lot since then.
Nevertheless , we, western guys , so educated and perhaps squared minded, might express something genuine and so far not the 100% of us are robotised , yet.
So your teacher was not completely right and you have my comprehension when you say that you were disappointed by his “commercial” advice.
Now coming back to our beloved Capoeira , I would like to pick up the same approach of Mestre Acordeon , starting frrm Jazz. As a jazz lover and jazz drummer I love this form of art in its whole. Like Capoeira , jazz evolved , changed , came across different styles of playing, different concepts and ethics as well. What I’m going to say now might enlight our perspectives and our debates about the future of Capoeira.
Nowadays, nobody in jazz dreams about playing his/her instrument like Louis Armstrong or Charlie Parker ( to mention someone possibly close to Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha) or modern composers are not aiming to conceive jazz like Gershwin or Duke Ellington. As well Mestre Acordeon never tried to teach like Metre Bimba ,because it was or it should be impossible.He developed his multi-facets style .
So innovation , creativity , freedom , once again, good sense, love and responsability are welcome more today than ever and should be the keys for the future of Capoeira
. A little mention of the story of the attempt of killing that pig with a Karate kick, which remind me when some robots introduced fundamentalism and neoclassicism in out history ( read Italy and the fascism).
After my readings about M. Acordeon , O Movimento Novo, your experience as Mestre que da lecao e discipulo que aprende, I’m very happy to be just a discipulo que aprende , because I understood that to be a wise mestre or a wise man will take to me plenty of reincarnations.

Axe’
VOVO’