‘Regionalist alienation’, ‘Angolan fundamentalism’, and ‘Group totalitarianism’ are all reflexions of the same ‘game’. Different strategies to cope with the same market. The question of ‘to what extent one becomes more of an entertainer than an artist in order to make a living from Capoeira?’ maybe ge a good way of thinking about these reflexions.
This weekend I had a great talk with a new friend. He also happens to be a new student… and a new teacher. This bloke is an awesome musician with a lot of knowledge on Samba, Chorinho, and MPB. He plays guitar marvelously and has been inspiring me to dedicate more time to music; an old life passion.
After a short period playing professionally in Australia he decided to quit and play only for fun. His reasons to quit the professional life were the centre of our conversation. To what extent one becomes more of an entertainer than an artist in order to make a living from his/her art was the main question for both of us. He said, or at least this is what I remember of what he said, that in subduing ourselves to the market, the expressive relationship of our inner selves with our art becomes dissonant, decentralised.
To be more of an entertainer than an artist is becoming a pattern among Capoeira professionals. Most of our young teachers are desperately looking for recognition, and a fair living. The fair living is the trickiest part. Having to comply with the market to make a (far from fair) living, our instructors have little time to absorb the popular culture and wisdom from where Capoeira came from, or to seek for formal education to become better educators. Conformed to market demands they can only become more specialised in whatever it might work to draw attention and bring a bit more money. Adapted to this rationale, instead of engaging with just causes, with social emancipation, most of our instructors can only think about becoming the next YouTube celebrity, or the next ephemeral workshop ‘hot guest’.
Transformed in commodity, Capoeira is loosing its connection to its principles. Today ‘self-expression’, or the expression of an intercultural ancestrality delivered through one’s culture, skills, and game, is often confused with ‘whatever it takes to make a living out of Capoeira’.
‘Regionalist alienation’; ‘Angolan fundamentalism’; and ‘Group totalitarianism’ are reflexions of the same market. Different strategies to cope with the same game game. Very rarely someone really questions the game of life we’re been compelled to play in Capoeira. At most some of us question its rules… and/or adopt one of the above mentioned strategies.
Are we expressing ourselves or our groups? Are we expressing a popular culture and living by its principles or just doing ‘cool moves’?
I believe we came to a point where we need more Movements, in the sense of ‘social movements’ with political and philosophical proposals; and less groups, in the sense of hierarchical institutions. We need more cultural practice and less institutional frameworks. More engagement and less (group or style based) ‘of-the-peg-identities’. We need more Movimento Novo; more Bidna Capoeira; and more Urban Ritual.
Art is a mutant word. It has been serving religion, self expression, commerce and entertainment since early ages. There is no clear boundaries to when art serves each purpose but there are extreme postures from artists and groups.
When talking about group or self expression, the joy should be at first inside of the ones who are playing, and than propagate to an interested audience, which have to be alert not to miss out what is being shown to them. A demanding audience, asking for what hey already know learn very little of what artists are really developing.
Players of music and Capoeira should allow themselves more freedom to experiment outside commercial stereotypes that tend to freeze things and place to much importance in origins and branding ownership.
The endeavor is to inherit the tradition but keep moving, scape from limited thematic stereotypes, be genuine and current to this generation. Something like Tropicalia? They really got it :)
Oi Tiago,
I’m with you when you say that joy should come first from inside. In this way, I believe, a capoeira-educated audience would appreciate jogos as a consequence of the capoeiristas’ skills and joy. Unfortunately, today there is an inversion… ‘Virtuosism’ is kicking in to please both a lay-audience and the tourism and entertainment industry; and this is slowly changing the principles of Capoeira.
Hopefully, there will always be ‘Dom Quixotes’ around to fight market mills ;)
Abraço e Axé!
Eurico
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