“… diverse discourses and attitudes are pervasive in an environment in which philosophical empathies and disagreements are made even more evident through bodily interactions…” (more…)
Whether you have something positive or negative to say about your experience in Capoeira, your participation is relevant to this project. Come and have your say about your concerns and experiences as a Capoeira artist, about the role of the Art-form within your community. Through discussions and comments we will learn more about the potentialities and shortcomings of Capoeira a social inclusive tool. (more…)
Janelle Kwong is the 4CapoeiraThoughts’ first guest author. In the post below, in addition to discussing causes and consequences of social inclusion/exclusion, she shares her vision on how Capoeira can play an important role within community development programmes. A more detailed analysis of Janelle’s study was posted on Connectualise; an online project supporting the strengthening of communities through the practice of Capoeira. (more…)
Folks, I just got an email from Itapuã promoting their annual meeting – The Movimento Novo. They took the history of the art to guide the discussions and counted with Mestres Nestor Capoeira, Marrom, Tisza, and the researcher Matthias Röhrig as special guests. I’m happy to learn that their movement is thriving, bringing diverse people together and widening the range of issues approached. Axé meus Camaradas!!! I hope that those who are looking for this kind of light may find your candeeiro’ to enlighten their path.
GREG Downey encountered the berimbau when conducting field work in Brazil for his PhD in anthropology from the University of Chicago. Its music accompanies the complicated dance cum martial arts form capoeira, and he was so fascinated by it that he mastered and then taught the instrument and the physical discipline. (more…)
This is the second part of my interview with Tarek ‘Laranja’, a socially engaged Capoeira teacher from Syria. Tarek’s newest project ‘Bidna Capoeira’ – “We want Capoeira!” in English – aims to inspire teachers from around the world to take action in areas of conflict and social difficulties through Capoeira programmes. ‘Laranja’ also shares his motivations and the shortcomings of such actions.
Tarek “Laranja” Alsaleh was the first practitioner to introduce Caopeira in Syria. Different from many enthralled young teachers who chose to ‘train just for fun’, Tarek believes that helping children and youth to find joy in their lives is no longer a choice, but an obligation. He coordinates various different projects utilising Capoeira as a socio-educative instrument in different locations. Through CapoeirArab, he launched the “Free for Kids project”, a programme assisting over 500 Iraqi/Palestinian refugees and children in areas of extreme social conditions. Currently Tarek is working to launch ‘Bidna Capoeira’ a NGO that aims ‘to bring capoeira to people in difficult situations around the world’, as he puts it. This is the first part of my interview with Tarek.
This is the last post in which I will be discussing my thoughts on Fundamentalism and Capoeira based on an experience I had trying to cooperate with another group/style to collect data for my research.
Matters of authenticity are very often related to aesthetic values, socio-centrism, and market reserve. The concept is usually applied attempting to validate or to quantify one’s perspective or practice over somebody else’s. It is also frequently based upon myths of purism; an ironic approach for an interdisciplinary and intercutural practice like Capoeira.
Jogo Aberto, our school’s next event, will be held from the 7th to the 14th of March at Fingal Head, NSW, Australia. The programme is packed with talks, discussions, documentary screening, and of course heaps of good classes and Rodas. Everyone is welcome! From new beginers to advanced students and teachers.
Fundamentalism is a worldwide phenomenon today and it affects the practice of both styles of Capoeira. The following posts were written based on an experience I had both as practitioner and as a researcher trying to work with inter-style and inter-group cooperation in a event a while ago.
Palestinian children from Iraq learn ‘capoeira’ – an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music and dance – at al-Tanf refugee camp in Syria.
By Magda Qandil
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGhONWz7L-Q] (Caption: In a Sunday afternoon in Rio de Janeiro 30 youngster capoeiras gathered themselves to exchange ideas and they got to the following conclusion: Capoeira is a *Bamba’s thing!)
* – Bamba – Someone adept at verbal and physical dueling; synonym for capoeira expert. (more…)
