The Hidden History of Capoeira: A Collision of Cultures in the Brazilian Battle Dance

252 Pages·2007·6.99 MB·English

by  Maya Talmon-Chvaicer

The Hidden History of Capoeira
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The
Hidden History
of C a p oe i r a
x
A Collision of Cultures in the
Brazilian Battle Dance
Maya Talmon-Chvaicer
University of texas Press aUstin
Copyright © 2008 by the University of texas press
all rights reserved
printed in the United states of america
first edition, 2008
The main ideas in the second part of Chapter 2
were first published in “The Criminalization of
Capoeira in nineteenth-Century Brazil,” in
Hispanic American Historical Review 82:3, 525–547.
The major theme of Chapter 5 was first published
in “Verbal and non-verbal Memory in Capoeira,”
in Sport and Society 7 (2004): 49–68, www.tandf
.co.uk/journals.
requests for permission to reproduce material
from this work should be sent to:
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University of texas press
p.o. Box 7819
austin, tX 78713-7819
www.utexas.edu/utpress/about/bpermission.html
♾ The paper used in this book meets the minimum
requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997)
(permanence of paper).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-publication data
talmon-Chvaicer, Maya, 1968–
The hidden history of capoeira : a collision
of cultures in the Brazilian battle dance / Maya
talmon-Chvaicer. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-292-71723-7 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-292-71724-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Capoeira (dance)—social aspects—
Brazil—History. 2. Brazil—social life and
customs. i. title.
GV1796.C145T35 2007
793.3'1981—dc22
2007008882
To my parents, Ruth and Dan, my husband, José (Yossi),
and my sons, Lavy and Naveh,
for their support, encouragement, and patience
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Contents​
foreword ix
acknowledgments xi
introduction 1
one a rio de Janeiro slave Game 7
two The Battle and the Game (1840s–1870s) 49
three patrons and oppressors (1870s–1930s) 69
Four new Center, new style: Capoeira regional and Capoeira angola in
twentieth-Century Bahia 111
Five The Game of Life: Battle of Cultures 151
epilogue 175
notes 181
Glossary 203
Bibliography 207
index 223
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Foreword​
OVeR The pAST decade i have seen Maya talmon-Chvaicer’s interest in Ca-
poeira and in the portuguese enslavement of africans come together in an ex-
traordinary fashion as she came to realize that an analysis of the history and
anthropology of Capoeira could provide a new entrée into Brazilian cultural
development.
This book presents us with many voices, and combines them in an a capella
performance of great artistry. We hear the voices of the white authorities, of the
enslaved africans, and of the black, mixed-race, and white Capoeiras, all chang-
ing over time, all interacting. in the authorities’ view Capoeira changed from the
play of the enslaved to the violent war games of “disruptive bandits,” and then,
remarkably, it was rehabilitated and eventually became the Brazilian national
sport. in early participants’ eyes it was preparation for a difficult life and a way
to publicly express scorn and disrespect for authority. But for some it became a
school for immersion in african values, for others a means of finding a shared
“Brazilian” experience.
Maya talmon-Chvaicer has brought together the changing attitudes of both
those in power and participants, along with a deep analysis of the african reli-
gious beliefs and the Catholicism that are part and parcel of this ritualized “game
of life.” The result is a lucid analysis of the change over time in light of the po-
litical and social history of Brazil and the changes from within as Kongolese,
yoruban, and portuguese values and beliefs affected the ritual dance and martial
art. all of these are an integral part of contemporary Capoeira, both in Brazil
and abroad, but in Brazil Capoeira still plays a significant role in symbolizing
national identity and is the subject of a proprietary fight that has national signifi-
cance. talmon-Chvaicer analyzes all these complex issues, both over time and
in relation to the many varied cultures and peoples. she retains from start to fin-
ish her respect and admiration for Capoeira, which she views as containing “all
the necessary ingredients for living well, both physically and spiritually,” but this
does not constrain her from examining the disparate roots and meanings of the
rituals, often very far from the cultures of contemporary participants. But this,
too, is an important historical development in the modern world.
Mechal sobel
ix