When I tell people that I travelled to Brazil they usually ask me about the beaches or the nightlife. When I reply by saying that I went to Copacabana Beach for about 15 minutes and didn’t go dancing they look at me with disbelief. I suppose it’s because Brazil and more specifically Rio de Janeiro is known for its beautiful beaches and nightlife. Well I didn’t go there for these things, instead I went to train Capoeira with all the mestres and even Mestre Camisa himself.
I started training capoeira in June 2012 after my daughter insisted that I try a class. I was not interested at first; not only had I never heard of capoeira but also because I was not very active. This all changed though, when I attended her batizado. A batizado is a ceremony where new participants are initiated into capoeira and more advanced students receive a higher rank. During the batizado, I was literally mesmerized by the berimbau. The berimbau is an ancient percussion instrument that I believe has the power to move your soul.
I must confess that the first few classes weren’t exactly thrilling for me. I kept saying to myself “what the heck are you doing here”. I was much older than most people in the class and was at the time overweight. But somehow my instructor managed to motivate me and make me feel like I belonged there. During that first year, I was very overwhelmed not only with the physical moves but with the music and the history of capoeira. I began reading anything I could find capoeira related. At one point a fellow capoeirista pointed me towards a dissertation “Hard Play: Capoeira and the Politics of Inequality in Rio de Janeiro” by Katya Wesolowski (here’s the link http://fds.duke.edu/db/attachment/628). I was so grateful to this research because it helped me process the meaning and purpose of capoeira.
When I arrived in Brazil in August 2013, I immediately felt comfortable. I understood Portuguese and could speak the language a little. At the airport, people thought I was Brazilian. I suppose I have one of those faces that makes it difficult to pinpoint my ethnicity. My teacher had already arranged for a group of us to stay at one of the mestre’s home in a town called Nova Iguaçu. This town is outside of Rio de Janeiro about 1/2 hour away. Everyone was so warm and welcoming; I felt as if I was in my own home. Shortly afterwards many people from all over Brazil began to arrive at this home.
This was a special year for Abada Capoeira, the capoeira group that I belong to. For one, it was the 25th anniversary of the group and secondly it was the first time in its history that not one but two women would receive the rank of mestra. This coincided with the IX World Games where capoeiras with the ranking of graduado and above compete. It was an opportunity to see the best of the best playing capoeira. It was a time to be inspired by all the great female capoeiras too.
The days leading up to the competitions were filled with training. We travelled to CEMB (Centro Educacional Mestre Bimba) Mestre Camisa’s picturesque farm modeled after a quilombo. This place was magnificent. It was everything I thought it would be. The classes were divided by ranking so I trained with everyone at my cord level, crua to amarela (raw to yellow cord). The classes were taught mostly by mestrandos but one of the days my class was taught by Mestre Camisa, the founder of Abada Capoeira. I was so excited. He even chose me to do a demonstration. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. In addition to capoeira classes, I also took Samba and jongo classes.
A secondary benefit of capoeira is the social aspect. I have met so many wonderful people from all over the world. I have formed friendships with people that share similar beliefs as I do and where the bond has deepened as time goes on.
My pilgrimage to Brazil, the birthplace of capoeira, was at once a time of renewal for me and a time where my love for capoeira deepened.
Training at CEMB with Mestre Camisa
Checking out the coconuts at Copacabana
Enjoying the water at Copacabana
Roaming the streets of Nova Iguaçu
http://youtu.be/77xMgx9id24
Playing capoeira in Nova Iguaçu
Marilyn Ramirez 