Rio de Janeiro: September Event Reminder

For all of you that are going to be in Rio in a few weeks, a reminder from Contramestre Urubu of Grupo Capoeira Angola Aluande about their event in Rio on September 20 & 21 with Mestres Cobra Mansa & Janja:

Dear friends:

I write to remind everyone that we are about a month away from our big celebration.
“Capoeira Angola and 120 Years of Abolition” is open for registration.

Take advantage of the discounted price that is good until September 5. It gives a 30% discount off the total price. You may call the numbers on the flyer to secure your spot.

The flyer is available on our website and very soon we will be fully functioning with news, photos, videos, discussion forums, interviews, downloads, and much more… for all admirers of this art.

AXE!!!!

August Calendar Round-Up

Here's what we have marked on our calendar. Let us know if your event is missing, and we will post it:

August
22 – 24, Workshops with M Cobra Mansa- Candangolândia, Brazil
23, Workshop with M Angolinha - São Paulo, Brazil
24, Workshop with M Manoel – São Paulo, Brazil
29 – 30, Workshops with M Sapo & M Rogerio – Olinda, Brazil

September
4 – 7, FICA International Encounter – Chicago, USA
12 - 17, Workshops with M Cobra Mansa & T Gege - Costa Rica
13, Celebratory Roda with M João Grande & M Camisa – Washington, DC, USA
19 - 21, 5th International Meeting - Hamburg, Germany
20 - 21, Grupo Capoeira Angola Aluande Event - Rio de Janeiro

October
3 - 6, "Let the Circle Be Unbroken" Encounter - Los Angeles, USA

November
Mestre Pastinha / Zumbi Weekend - Seattle, USA

Olinda, PE: Workshops with M Sapo & M Rogério

Capoeira Angola Workshop
Sementes de Pernambuco

with Mestre Sapo & Mestre Rogério Lourenço

August 30 & 31

August 29, 8 pm – Opening Roda

Where: Grupo de Capoeira Angola Mãe
Rua Ilma Cunha, 243
Bonsucesso, Olinda - PE Brasil

Contact: 3429 2671
Registration: R$30,00

Los Angeles, USA: Schedule for West Coast Conference

Hey folks, the schedule for the upcoming West Conference in Los Angeles:

CAPOEIRA ANGOLA CONFERENCE WEST COAST 2008

Tentative Event Schedule as of August 20, 2008

The following schedule is tentative and may change. Contact Ngolo
Arts for the latest information or if you have questions.

FRIDAY
@ University of California Los Angeles
Westwood, CA 90095
310-825-4321 for recorded directions

8 am - 4 pm
UCLA Brain Food Seminar
Lectures and discussions on the history, cosmology, practice and documentation of Capoeira Angola
Presenters: Professor C. Daniel Dawson, Dr. T.J. Desch Obi, Mestre Pedro Trindade Moraes, Director Jason Gregory Isaacs (Time and order
of presentations to be announced)

6 pm
Book Signing of 'Fighting for Honor - The History of African Martial Arts Traditions in the Atlantic World' by author Dr. T.J. Desch Obi
@ Eso Won Books, 4331 Degnan Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90008
(323-290-1048)

8 pm
Conference Opening Reception and Night Roda
Location to be announced

SATURDAY
@ Rogers Park
400 West Beach Avenue
Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 412-5504

8 am
Registration

9 am
Movement/Music Workshop with Mestre Moraes

1230 pm
Lunch/Lecture - Daniel Dawson

2 pm
Movement/Music Workshop with Mestre Moraes

530 pm
Evening Break

7 pm
Premiere 'Let the Circle Be Unbroken'

830 pm
Open Night Roda

1130 pm Close Day


SUNDAY
@ Rogers Park
400 West Beach Avenue
Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 412-5504

8 am
Registration

9 am
Movement/Music Workshop with Mestre Jogo de Dentro

1230 pm
Lunch/Lecture – T.J. Desch Obi

2 pm
Movement/Music Workshop with Mestre Jogo de Dentro

530 pm
Evening Break

7 pm
Premiere 'Let the Circle Be Unbroken – A Capoeira Odyssey'

830 pm
Open Night Roda

1130 pm Close Day

MONDAY
@ Darby Park
3400 W Arbor Vitae St
Inglewood, CA 90305
(310) 412-5391

9 am
Movement/Music Workshop with Mestre Moraes

1130 am
Movement/Music Workshop with Mestre Jogo de Dentro

2 pm Close Conference

Schedule is subject to change.

For up to date Conference info and to contact us at:
Ngolo Arts Preservation Society
7401 Crenshaw Blvd, Ste. 117
Los Angeles, CA 90043
my space page
ngolo.arts (at) gmail (dot) com
310-9eight9-12six9

Washington, DC: Celebrating Capoeira

The Brazilian Embassy
Saturday, September 13, 2008
11:00am - 4:00pm

The City Museum
801 K street, NW
Washington, DC

The Brazilian Embassy will be celebrating the recognition of Capoeira as a Brazilian Cultural Heritage with the release of a magazine on its origins and development. The event will have the presence of Capoeira Masters from Brazil and Capoeira Schools in the area. There will be a discussion between groups that follow the two main lines of Capoeira: "Angola and Regional". If you play capoeira come dressed to join a big "roda" and to participate in workshops. It is a free event and open to the public.

Word is that Mestre João Grande will be there along with Mestre Camisa, so this is going to be an event you won't want to miss.

And after, we can all go see Chuck Brown, the godfather of go-go, free at the Kennedy Center.

São Paulo: Workshops with Mestre Manoel

Seems like there is a great event in São Paulo just about every week these days...

Mestre Manoel
Grupo Ypiranga de Pastinha, RJ

open workshops

capoeiristas & interested people
Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola

Sunday, August 24
2:00 pm

Rua Cariris, no. 13
travessa de Cardeal Arcoverde
8937-3396

contribution: R$20,00

Build Your Own Archives: Mandinga, Manha & Malícia

Torpedeira Piauí
Coraçada na Bahia
Marinheiro absoluto
Chegou pintando arrelia
Quando vê cobra assanhada
Não mete o pé na rodia
Que a cobra assanhada morde
Se eu fosse a cobra eu mordia
Mataram Pedro Mineiro
Dentro da Secretaria

Adriana Albert Dias, a.k.a Pimentinha in the rodas of Salvador, is the author of the book Mandinga, Manha & Malícia: uma história sobre os capoeiras na capital da Bahia (1910-1925). It is a work that grew out of her masters thesis in history with the Federal University of Bahia.

Pimentinha does an excellent job documenting life in Salvador during this time, examining where the capoeiristas lived, with who they spent their time, what jobs they performed, and how they interacted with the authorities. Through her careful research of primary sources, journal articles, and interviews with people who lived during this time, she shows us how capoeiristas used mandinga and cunning in their everyday dealings as well as in capoeira rodas- and how this permeated the practice of capoeira, from its play to its songs and rhythms.

The above ladainha opens the chapter of the book that examines the life and times of the famous Pedro Mineiro. Here’s a bit of what Pimentinha writes about him:

He was not a native of the state of Bahia, having been born around 1887 in the city of Ouro Preto, in the state of Minas Gerais, because of this he was known by the knickname Pedro Mineiro. When he was around 20 years old he was already living in Salvador; he knew how to read and write, he lived in the Pilar neighborhood, and he worked as a porter and seaman. He was known among the authorities due to his bullying behavior and his exploits around the city of Salvador. His name often appeared in the police column of the Bahian newspapers, being referred to as thief, troublemaker, criminal, and celebrity rabble-rouser. The main stage of his adventures was the Cais Dourado, but he also often visited the “27 of Tabuão” and Galinho’s Bar. He caused trouble with all sorts of people; other capoeiras, women, troublemakers, regular folks, sailors, and principally, the police.

One of his many exploits inspired the above ladainha. In what became known as the “crime of Saldanha” (o crime do Saldanha, because it happened on Rua do Saldanha), Pedro Mineiro and some of his buddies confronted a group of sailors:

On December 26, another shoot-out occurred between some capoeiras and a group of soldiers from the torpedo boat, Piauhy that had arrived from Rio de Janeiro three months before. The scene of the trouble was Galinho’s Bar, where the sailors were eating dinner when they were attacked by the capoeiras Pedro Mineiro, Sebastião de Souza, and an individual named Antônio José Freire, also known as Branco…

… The shoot-out lasted about fifteen minutes, causing a huge commotion and much panic. All of the bars, stores, warehouses, and residences in the area closed their doors and windows. In the fighting, two sailors were killed…

The rest of the sailors, all wounded, escaped and made their way back to the boat. Pedro Mineiro, Sebastião, and Branco tried to flee through the streets of Sé, but were captured by the police and by-standers, and then taken to the nearest police station and from there transferred to the Secretary of Public Safety.

No one knows for certain what drove Pedro Mineiro and his friends to go after the sailors; was it a fight over a woman? Did the local police chief contract the capoeiristas to attack the sailors to avenge a past slight? In any case, a few days following the fight, there was a public inquisition of the three capoeiristas at the Secretary of Public Security. While they were answering questions about the attack:

… the unthinkable happened: one of the Piauhy sailors, feeling insulted, shot Pedro Mineiro right inside the police headquarters, in front of the authorities. As such, the accused, Pedro Mineiro, also became a victim with serious wounds...

Apparently, the attack provoked enormous confusion, with more than twenty police soldiers, sailors, justice officials, and the deputy falling over themselves in the rush, a situation which allowed for the escape of Branco and Sebastião… [Sebastião] was chased by a sailor until the Rua da Faísca, where he was stabbed so deeply in the back that his kidneys were reached.

It seems that Branco made a successful escape. The sailors involved were not taken into custody because they were subject to maritime law, and therefore, it was the responsibility of their captain to decide their fate.

The attack on Pedro Mineiro and Sebastião made headlines in the local papers, and the city was kept abreast of Pedro Mineiro’s deteriorating condition. In the meantime, the police chief and the captain of the Piauhy exchanged angry letters accusing each other of incompetence. After a thwarted attempt at suicide, reported in the local papers, Pedro Mineiro succumbed to his wounds and died on January 15.

Pedro José Viera passed away at the Saint Isabel Hospital due to a bullet that was impossible to remove from his body… He was 27 years old, and was buried in the Quinta dos Lázaros cemetery.

And there you have it. A significant story in capoeira history thanks to the efforts of Pimentinha.

This is a great book that is packed full of information. Its written in Portuguese, but don't be intimidated if your Portuguese is not perfect. Pimentinha has written in a very readable style that is easy on the brain. You are going to be amazed at all the great information that Pimentinha provides through her thorough research.

One More Time: Pedro Mineiro & the Piauí

Another version of the ladainha remembering the death of Pedro Mineiro, found in the FICA-DC music archives:

Torpedeira Piauí
Encouraçado na Bahia
Mataram Pedro Mineiro
Dentro da secretaria
O homem era valente
Se não matasse, morria, camaradinha!

São Paulo: Workshops with M Angolinha

Mestre Angolinha

Open Workshop

Capoeiristas and interested public

Grupo Nzinga de Capoeira Angola

Saturday, August 23
2:00 pm

Rua dos Cariris, 13
Travessa da Cardeal Arcoverde
São Paulo

Contribution: R$20

Salvador: Tribute to Mestre Paulo dos Anjos

ACANNE

Remembering the Ancestral Legacy of Mestre Paulo dos Anjos

World Circuit of Rodas and Tributes

Salvador * Paris * Port of Spain * Porto Alegre * Passo Fundo * Carazinho * Tramandai

August 15, 2008

7 pm: Photography Exhibit

7:30 pm: Video Screening * “Recordando o legado Ancestral de Mestre Paulo dos Anjos” (Remembering the Ancestral Legacy of Mestre Paulo dos Anjos)

8 pm: Conversations with Mestre Renê and Mestre Jorge Satélite about their experiences with Mestre Paulo dos Anjos

8:30 pm: Roda de Capoeira Angola

10 pm: Samba de Roda e Cocktail

Location: Associação de Capoeira Angola Navio Negreiro
Rua do Sodre, 48 * Neighborhood: Dois de Julho (near the Museum of Sacred Art)

Rio de Janeiro: September Workshops

Looks like a great event...

Capoeira Angola
120 Years of Abolition

Workshops with Mestres Cobra Mansa and Janja

Event Prices:
R$50,00 until September 5
R$70,00, from September 6 and on

To make a bank deposit, call:
Tels: 3356-2382 / 2595-0804
9705-4594 / 7841-9703
9486-3406 / 9306-9977

Schedule:

September 20
9 am - noon, workshops
Break
2:00 – 4:00 pm, workshops
4:00 6:00 pm, roundtable discussion with invited mestres
6:00 pm, roda

September 21
9 am - noon, workshops
Break
2:00 – 4:00 pm, workshops
4:00 pm, closing roda

Where: Rua Evaristo da Veiga, no. 95 – Lapa
ESDJ, Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial
For those who do not participate in the workshops but would like to play in the roda, there will be a R$25,00 charge.

Thanks to Contramestre Urubu for the flyer.

Candangolândia, DF: Workshops with M Cobra Mansa

If you happen to be in the area…

The First Event of the Capoeira Angola Study Group

Candangolândia - DF

Place: Instituto Comunidade Praia Verde
August 22- 24

Workshops with Mestre Cobra Mansa, Capoeira Angola rodas, cultural attractions and space for camping

for more information, contact: 061-8410-0533
chicofedora (arroba) gmail (ponto) com

Los Angeles, USA: Mestres, Movies, & Brain Food

CAPOEIRA ANGOLA CONFERENCE WEST COAST
OCTOBER 3-6, 2008
INGLEWOOD CALIFORNIA

From October 3 - 6, 2008, the Capoeira Angola Conference - West Coast will be presented by Ngolo Arts Preservation Society at Roger's Park in Inglewood, California.* As in previous Conferences, the information presented will be invaluable, the energy invigorating and the camaraderie unforgettable. As of now, this is what you can expect at the Conference:

THE MESTRES

Featured are the exclusive North American appearances this year of:

Mestre Moraes - Founder of Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelhourino (GCAP), Grammy Nominated singer/songwriter. Coming from Salvador, Bahia, Mestre Moraes learned capoeira under Mestre Joao Grande at Mestre Pastinha's academy.

Mestre Jogo de Dentro - Founder of Grupo Sementes do Jogo de Capoeira Angola, singer and musician with several cd's and dvd's to his credit. Coming from his academy in Salvador, Bahia, Mestre Jogo de Dentro acquired his skills under Mestre Joao Pequeno.
http://www.sementedojogodeangola.com/

THE BRAIN FOOD

Thought provoking discussion to nourish the mind will be led by this year's lecturers:

Dr. T.J. Desch Obi, Professor of History at Baruch College, will be discussing African derived martial traditions in the western hemisphere and signing his recently released book, "Fighting for Honor - The History of African Martial Arts Traditions in the Atlantic World." http://www.sc.edu/uscpress/2008/3718.html

Dr. C. Daniel Dawson is an oft quoted scholar, writer and lecturer on capoeira whose work focuses on African cultural manifestations in the western hemisphere.

SPECIAL ADDITION - THE FILMS

A special feature this year is the premier public screening of the
much anticipated film "Let the Circle Be Unbroken - A Capoeira Odyssey." This is a film which cannot be missed.
www.circlebeunbroken.com

Also showing is the award winning film, "Maré Capoeira," detailing the thoughts of a young capoeirista as he considers the challenges of the roda and his life.
http://www.portacurtas.com.br/pop4_160.asp?cod=4683&Exib=2709

SEE YOU IN OCTOBER!

In addition to all of the above, there will be time for fun and
relaxing with your comrades at dance shows, parties and more!

In appreciation for your coming in these trying economic times, we are formulating special pricing deals which which may make the financial cost of attending this year's landmark Conference a little easier to handle. We will forward details later.

* This years Conference is not associated with the Capoeira Angola Center of Los Angeles.

Capoeira Angola in Bogotá, Colombia

Fabricio, who trained in DC and Bahia for many years, is leading Capoeira Angola classes in Bogotá, Colombia, where he now lives. Word around the DC metro area is that Fabricio gave a killer class a few months ago, so this is a great opportunity for capoeiristas and future capoeiristas in Bogotá. Also, don't forget to get in touch with him if you are in the area.

A note about the schedule of classes:

Dear capoeiristas and angoleiros,

I write to you to let you know that from here on we will be training every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at ADRA.

Monday - 6:30-8:00PM - general
Wednesday - 7:00-8:00PM - music
Friday - 8-9:45PM - general

ADRA - Diagonal 42a Carrera 21 (antigua av 39, esquina de la cr21 con la calle del río Arzobispo) en la soledad.

And as always, we will continue with our open classes on Saturdays in the FLORES Transmilenio station at 10:00 am

I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow at 7 pm on the dot!!!

Fabricio Apolo
Representative
FICA - Fundación Internacional de Capoeira Angola

---------------

Queridos capoeristas y angoleiros, les escribo para dejarles saber que desde hoy!!! lunes 4 estaremos entrenando todos los LUNES, MARTES y VIERNES en ADRA.

Lunes - 6:30-8:00PM - general
Martes - 7:00-8:00PM - música
Viernes - 8-9:45PM - general

ADRA - Diagonal 42a Carrera 21 (antigua av 39, esquina de la cr21 con la calle del río Arzobispo) en la soledad

Y como siempre, seguimos con nuestras clases abiertas los SÁBADOS en la estación de Transmilenio FLORES a partir de las 10AM.

los espero manana puntualmente a las 7!!!

Fabricio Apolo
Representante
FICA - Fundación Internacional de Capoeira Angola

Bogota 57 311 2231487
ficabogota (at) mosaicoba (dot) org
Bahia 55 71 91952256

Photos: Vadiando in the Streets of Salvador

Here are some photos from Salvador, Bahia on June 15th- the day Iphan (O Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional, The National Institute of Historic and Artistic Patrimony) voted to designate capoeira an official cultural patrimony of Brazil. Outside of the Palácio Rio Branco, where the vote was held, hundreds of capoeiristas joined to play in rodas in the square and demonstrate the beauty and trickery of their art.

These are pictures from the FICA-Nzinga roda. Enjoy!

Thanks to Cristina for the great pictures.

If you have photos you would like to share, send a link to: ficadcarchives (at) gmail (dot) com