Although the 13th of May is the official date celebrating the Abolition of slavery in Brazil, politicised people tend to prefer to celebrate this achievement on November 20, the Day of the Black Consciousness. The rationale is simple. Choosing the day of Zumbi’s execution as the date to celebrate the end of slavery, Blacks and Mestizos bring to the centre of the scenario the acknowledgement of the enslaved peoples’ effort towards freedom, instead of a benevolent act from a White Princess.
Equality in Brazil is yet to come, and so is freedom for all the poorer and much darker classes. To revise the ‘official’ history is only part of the process to achieve egalitarian rights and self empowerment. Such revision is, nonetheless, very important. On the other hand, to state that the 13th of May completely denies the enslaved peoples’ effort is an oversimplification. The effort of Blacks, Mestizos, and Whites abolitionists in the many revolts adding pressure to end slavery, should be also taken into account. This context is often sung in Capoeira songs.
The broad context, however, was complex. In the early 19th century the “Prince Dom João VI of Portugal, along with his entire court and 15,000 others, fled to Brazil, escorted by British ships” escaping Napoleon’s army. The British Empire “enjoying an industrial revolution that had been significantly financed by Brazilian gold, was becoming a world power and Portugal’s main ally against Napoleon” (Taylor; 2005: 275). Such support was not unconditional and as Britain had recently banned the slave trade it soon started to lobby against the Portuguese slave trade.
Adding to these tensions within the international scenario, the arrival of the Portuguese Royal family into Brazil coincided with a growing perception of the numerous mass of Blacks, Negríndios1 and Caboclos2 as a threat to the establishment, as well as with a strengthened Brazilian abolitionist movement. This menace was intensified by the ruling classes’ awareness of the St. Domingue Revolution and resulted in policies being written and police forces assembled in an explicit attempt to extirpate what was seen as insubordinate behaviour of these masses from Brazilian society.
The troublesome years of transition from an Empire to a Republic exposed Capoeira as a deeply problematic act and philosophy affecting relations between the disadvantaged population and the ruling class as the ability to control this bellicose ethnic-mixed crowd and their weapon and means of expression was a crucial factor in effective rule.
The Republican Party movement and its intellectuals were severe critics of the Empire’s incompetence in extinguishing social problems related to Capoeira; and the usually public turmoil caused by its practitioners. Conversely, the Monarchists had not only gained the capoeira outfit’s support by abolishing slavery in 1888, as they had also assembled the first capoeira military unit – A Guarda Negra [The Black Guard] (Soares; Texts from Brazil, n.14; pp. 45-52).
This brief socio-historical analysis provides evidence that both the May 13 and the November 20 were dates similarly related to actions and attitudes of the Blacks and Mestizos in Brazil. The November 20 is, nevertheless, legitimated by the Black movement quest for empowerment, social acceptance, and egalitarian rights. In addition, the Day of the Black Consciousness rightfully questions the official history bringing forward a number of important questions about the understanding of Brazilian culture and Capoeira.
In some ways the discussion of these dates and their celebrations brings us a rich context to study our practice. Much of this discussion and historical context is covered in Capoeira songs. I leave here for you these video clips with some of these songs; composed and sung by Mestre Tony Vargas, one of the most talented poets in Capoeira today.
Enjoy it! Axé!
Eurico
Notes:
1 – Negríndio is a term used in Brazil describing a person of mixed Brazilian Amerindian and African descent.
2 – Caboclo (or caboco, from the Tupi kaa’boc, ‘who came from the forest’) is a term used in Brazil describing a person of mixed Brazilian Amerindian and European descent.
‘Dona Isabel que História é Essa’
Dona Isabel que história é essa / Lady Isabel what tale is that
de ter feito abolição / that you made the abolition
De ser princesa boazinha / of being a kind Princess
que libertou a escravidão / that freed slavery
To cansado de conversa / I’m tire of idle talk
to cansado de ilusão / I’m tire of illusion
Abolição se fez com sangue / Abolition was done with blood
que inundava este país / that flooded this country
Que o negro transformou em luta / that the Black transformed into fight
cansado de ser infeliz / tired of being unhappy
Abolição se fez bem antes / Abolition was done well before
e ainda há por se fazer agora / and it’s yet to be done now
Com a verdade da favela / With the truth of the slums
e não com a mentira da escola / and not with the lie of the school
dona Isabel chegou a hora / Lady Isabel the time has come
de se acabar com essa maldade / to end this evilness
De se ensinar aos nossos filhos / to teach our children
o quanto custa a liberdade / how much freedom costs
Viva Zumbi nosso rei negro / Long live Zumbi, our Black King
que fez-se herói lá em Palmares / who was made hero in Palmares
Viva a cultura desse povo / Hail this people’s culture
a liberdade verdadeira / the true freedom
Que já corria nos Quilombos / that already ran in Quilombos
e já jogava capoeira / and played Capoeira
Iê viva Zumbi…
References:
‘Dona Isabel que história é essa?’, by Mestre Tony Vargas; retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/BerimbauSenzala#p/a/u/1/VBDH2HZJtEY on 17-05-10
Moura, C. (2004) Dicionário da Escravidão no Brasil. SP. Brazil: Editora da Universidade de São Paulo.
‘Quando Eu Venho de Luanda’, by Mestre Tony Vargas; retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/user/ficavontade#p/u/4/MXsmsmBMbPY on 17-05-10
Soares, C. “The Black Guard: Capoeira in The Rough-and-Tumble of Politics”. In Texts from Brazil n.14 – Capoeira. Brazilian Ministry of External Relations; pp. 45-52.
Taylor, G. (2005). Capoeira: The Jogo de Angola from Luanda to Cyberspace. CA, USA: North Atlantic Books
