Rio de Janeiro: Capoeira Book Release

Dear Friends,

We invite you all to participate this Saturday, October 31 in a unique event that will unite the literature, capoeira, and samba communities.

All in one place:Livraria Largo das Letras e Federação dos Trabalhadores Cristãos do Rio de Janeiro.

Mauricio Barros de Castro (one of the event organizers) will be autographing his book, Capoeira, a collection of interviews with Mestres past and present, all true references of this Afro-Brazilian tradition.

There will be a roda with Grupo N'Golo (Mestre Jose Carlos) that will include the presence of mestres, contramestres, and many capoeiristas from the Carioca capoeira community who will be at the event. We will close the event in grand style with a Samba de Raiz do "Samba do Chapeu".

It will be worth it!
Mestre Carlão

Azougue Editorial & Livraria Largo das Letras
invites you to

The release of the book –
CAPOEIRA

Organization
Frede Abreu
Maurício Barros de Castro

Schedule of Events
- traditional capoeira roda with Grupo de Capoeira Angola N’golo
- samba do chapéu
- release of book

Dia 10/31/2009
11 am – 5 pm

Place: Livraria Largo das Letras
Rua Almirante Alexandrino,
Largo dos Guimarães – Santa Teresa
Tel: 2221-8992
website

Salvador, Brazil: Cultural Fair at CECA of M João Pequeno

Cultural Fair: ARTE DE APRENDER
"92 years of art and life"

CAPOEIRA
ART
HANDICRAFTS
POETRY
CULTURE
ARTS WORKSHOPS

With the goal of fostering a fertile space to exchange ideas about art and culture, the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola – CECA, Academia do Mestre João Pequeno de Pastinha (Forte do Santo Antonio) is organizing a Cultural Fair with activities that cross different artistic languages, including workshops of capoeira, dance, body percussion, instrument-making and workshops led by artisans who work with recyclables to craft dolls and sculptures. Beyond the offered workshops, there will be an artisans’ fair, a capoeira roda led by M João Pequeno de Pastinha, video screenings concerning aspects of regional culture, and the release of a DVD of the tribute event for Mestre Ferreirinha.

Place:
Academia de João Pequeno de Pastinha, Rua Barão do Triunfo, s/n
Forte de Santo Antonio (Largo do Santo Antonio)
Tel:(071)33230708;88331469; 87464161;81159235

When & where:
06 de novembro a partir das 14:00hs
7 e 8 de novembro a partir das 10:00hs

Free admission
Register: feirartedeaprenderajpp (at) hotmail (dot) com
website

Zebras in the City: Art & Capoeira in NYC

The creation of a banner representing a group or school is a significant undertaking. How does one create an image that encompasses hundreds of years of history, potential for the future, group history, group location, your native language (and some Portuguese if it is not your native tongue), an art form as rich and wide as capoeira (all those moves! all those instruments!), a bit of philosophy, plus perhaps an enthusiastic zebra or two?

Clearly, many decisions have to be made, but what you end up with should just about represent the essential of your group - its individual characteristics as well as its place within the larger community. Recently, FICA-NYC artists Duhirwe Rushemesa and Michael Loughlin developed a banner for their group. Group leader Njoli (who shares the responsibility with Puck) asked them to write a little about:

almost a year ago our two resident artists, Duhirwe Rushemesa and Michael Loughlin, designed a beautiful banner for the group and gave us all the opportunity to participate in its crafting. i asked them to do a short write up about the ideas and themes at work in the image and thought it would be nice to share with everyone.
thanks to you and to them,
-n-

FICA NY - Study Group Banner
A Brief Description of Its Themes by Michael Loughlin:

I believe the banner we created for fica ny is a call to arms, an image that lets people know that fica has arrived and wants to be heard in the great city of New York!

The iconic image of the empire state building is the center piece of the impressive new york skyline, hence it is used to symbolized that we are alive in the heart of this city. The fica logo is indeed iconic in its own right thus it is symbolized as being larger than the city for all to see and bring attention to the group that has established itself here.

The use of zebras in the foreground is to represent animals from the birth place of Capoeira Angola, Africa, and to demonstrate just how far the art has migrated. The zebras seem out of place yet blend into the city. The fica logo also shares the image of the zebra as if it were playing along with the capoerista. Thus it is an image that solidifies that we are all animals roaming this interesting city and planet.

The overall style was created to look loose and fluid. The buildings are not square and no line is truly straight, they are there yet transparent. The city is obviously new york yet it is done in a gestural style that gives it movement and life, not rigid and grounded. The stylized quality used is to mimic the beauty and fluidity found at the heart of capoeria.

The colors used in the banner are that of the typical colors used in Fica unifying our group with a global society that is interested in enriching the lives of many throught the spirit of dance and sing! The color blue is used as a mark of uniqueness, a slight touch of hand that signals a sense of life and artistic freedom to accent. The color is sharp and vibrant in hopes of catching the eye and enlivening the surrounding.

The banner was created to give a sense of pride and spirit to those who train, play and sing in front of it. To establish a voice and pay homage to the art and beauty of Capoeira!

Many thanks to Duhirwe and Michael for their artwork, and to Njoli for passing it along. I have noticed over the years that Njoli really challenges his group with exercises like this - beyond just learning the movements and the music - that require reflection upon your growth as an individual within capoeira as well as your place in the capoeira community. That's really cool.

What does your logo, banner, or even group name say about you and your school? Its something interesting to consider.

Capoeira Angola Center Fall Newsletter

Wonder what's up with Mestre? Well, you can find out quarterly with the Capoeira Angola Center newsletter. Action-packed and in full-color, the newsletter lets you know where Mestre has been and where he is going (so you can be there, too).

Here is the text from this issue:

Once every season, we’ll keep you in the loop!
Welcome to the Capoeira Angola Center newsletter! In an eff ort to strengthen our community, we’ll welcome every season with a (re)collection of happenings -past and upcoming- to keep you up to date. This is a work in progress, and of course we welcome any feedback!

MESTRE JOAO GRANDE VISITS SAO PAULO
ON OCTOBER 01-04, 2009, Mestre João Grande participated of the III Encontro Zungu Capoeira - Resistência Cultural in the city of São Paulo. The event, hosted by the Escola Cultural Zungu Capoeira, had the presence of renowned angoleiros such as Mestre Ananias, Mestre Bigo (Francisco 45 de Pastinha), Mestre Russo de Caxias and Mestre Plínio. Many other Mestres and Contra-Mestres from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro participated as well. Mestre João Grande enjoyed the many workshops, rodas and cultural presentations that took place during the event and was particularly pleased with the social work that the group, under the guidance of professor Cacá, provides for the under-served children of the region.

CAPOEIRA FESTIVAL in NYC
ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 The Brazilian Consul continued his promotion of capoeira as a National Heritage by hosting the Capoeira Festival in New York City. The event was held to recognize the importance of capoeira in Brazilian history with the distribution of the publication No. 14 of Texts From Brazil : Capoeira, along with the presence of Mestre João Grande, Mestre Camisa, Mestre Jelon Viera and Mestranda Edna Lima who were present for demonstrations and panel discussions during the event.

XV ANNUAL CAPOEIRA ANGOLA CONFERENCE (FICA), Jul-Aug 2009
DURING THE summer, Mestre João Grande travelled to Belo Horizonte, BZ where Mestre Cobra Mansa, Mestre Jurandir, and Mestre Valmir hosted their XV Annual International Encounter. The event was well attended and it brought together capoeristas from several different countries.

MESTRE’S UPCOMING TRIPS
oct 8-12 Texas, Dente de Ouro

dec 2-4 Los Angeles
N’golo Arts Preservation Society
Movement, Music, Songs, Rodas & Conversations with Mestre
info: ngolo.arts (at) gmail.com
facebook / myspace
phone: 424.200.4968

dec 5-7 Arizona
CAC Arizona
Movement, Music, Songs, Rodas & Conversations with Mestre
info: ngolo.arts (at) gmail.com
facebook / myspace
phone:_ Xango: 602.791.7545
Uncle James: 424.200.4968

Looking forward to the next one.

Washington, DC: Film Screening this Friday

Its going to be a red carpet affair - get out your top hat and fancy dinner gloves.

Please join us at the FICA-DC space this Friday, October 30, as our own Lucia Duncan will be screening three films she has made.

Here are the details:

Friday October 30 from 8 - 9:30 pm.
FICA/Emergence Community Arts Collective
733 Euclid St NW

"Olinda: World Cultural Heritage Site" 12 min, 2002
The viewer is introduced to the historic and scenic city of Olinda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, through the perspective of native tour guides. Little by little, the daily life of the tour guides and the city is revealed, showing a side of the city that many prefer to ignore.

"Lord of Olinda" 20 min., 2004
For more than 60 years, the Lord of Olinda has been a colorful figure of Olinda's carnival.Intercutting scenes of his daily life and carnival appearances, O Lorde de Olinda blurs the line between person and character.

"Whales of Gold" 38 min., 2009
Tourism and conservation have brought profound change to a small fishing community on the San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Twelve-year-old Antonio negotiates between the different points of view of locals and outsiders about how to conserve the lagoon and sustain the livelihoods of the people who live there.

And of course, O Lorde never left the house without checking the blog.

Mainz, Germany: 4th Capoeira Angola Workshop

Fourth Capoeira Angola Workshop
with Mestre Valdec
12 Anos de Resistencia
November 13 - 15, 2009

Friday - November 13
6pm - 7pm Presentation
7pm - 9pm Roda de Capoeira Angola

Saturday - November 14
10 am - 1 pm Practice/Workshop
1pm - 3 pm Lunch Break
3 pm - 4:30 pm Practice/Workshop
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm Roda de Capoeira Angola
8:30 pm Casual Get-together

Sunday - November 15
10:30 am - 12:30 pm Music Class (Instruments and Singing)
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm Lunch Break
3:00 pm - Final Open Roda

All Events those three days will take place at the 'Inter-1 Saal' on the Mainz University Campus
Wittichweg 45, 55128 Mainz,Germany

For Information contact:
grupobantu (at) gmail (com) com
cell +49 0175 7709075
phone + 49 (0)6131 28 08 476

Registration Fees for the Entire Weekend: 50 Euros
For a single day: 20 Euros

Thanks to Lars for the translation from German. Thanks to Grupo Bantu for the flyer

Rancharia, SP, Brazil: Encounter with M Cláudio

Capoeira Angola Encounter with Mestre Cláudio from Bahia

Schedule of Events
Assis:
11/18 Wednesday
5 pm - Workshop & Hanging Out with M Cláudio and Angoleiros do Sertão
Place - Barracão Cultural.

Rancharia:
11/19 Thursday
9 am - Encounter with students of Projeto de Capoeira Municipal and time with M Cláudio and guests
Place - Quadra do CSU
7 pm - Children’s Workshop with Contramestre Xandão
8 pm – Workshop with M Cláudio, hanging out and samba de roda

Presidente Prudente:
11/20 Friday
7 pm – Time with M Cláudio
Place - Centro Cultural Matarazzo

11/21 Saturday
9:30 am - Capoeira - Os Angoleiros do Sertão and guests
Local-Calçadão de Pres. Prudente
6 pm – workshop with M Cláudio
Place - Centro Cultural Matarazzo

Rancharia:
11/22 Sunday
9:00 am – Capoeira- Os Angoleiros do Sertão and guests
Place - Praça da Baixada

Housing will be provided, please bring sheets/sleeping bag
Cost of event: R$40.00, includes all workshop

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Very cool. Have fun.

Brighton, UK: Workshops with M Laércio

Capoeira Angola Workshop with Mestre Laércio

Friday, Nov 6
7 – 9:30 pm
Capoeira at Middle Street School £10

Saturday, Nov 7
12 – 6 pm
Capoeira at Wagner Hall, Lewes Road, £15

Sunday, Nov 8
12 – 1:30 pm, Afro-Brazilian Dance, £8
2:30 – 7 pm, Capoeira and Roda, £15
Whole weekend, 35

Brazilian Quilombo Party @ the Cubar
5 Preston Street, Brighton BN1 2HN
Saturday, Nov 7
10 pm – 2 am
£3 for capoeiristas & in advance
£5 on the door

Contact: Ed, 07792 195 807

Brighton Capoeira Angola

Salvador & Recôncavo da Bahia: 3rd Capoeira Encounter

This event looks amazing. You can't miss it if you are in the area!

The 3rd Capoeira Encounter of the Recôncavo will honor Mestre Felipe de Santo Amaro de Purifcação, a significant mestre from the old guard, as well as an artisan and capoeira singer.

This is a traveling event that aims to show and give value to the existing movement between urban capoeira and the rural capoeira of the Bahian Recôncavo.

This event will take place in Salvador, Santo Amaro and Santiago do Iguape, a small village of fisherman and farming quiombolas from the 27th to the 29th of November, 2009.

Schedule of Events

11/27, Salvador
10 – Opening and reception with the children capoeiristas of Santo Amaro, students of Mestre Ivan (ACANA), at the Faculdade de Educação/UFBA
10h30 – Exhibition and discussion about the film “A CAPOEIRA DE UM MESTRE E O SEU BANDO ANUNCIADOR” in the Sala de Cinema da UFBA/Faced.
14h – Percussion Workshop with Mestre Lua / Praça do Pelourinho
16h – Educational activity for the kiddies (painting in honor of M Felipe)
18h - BANDO ANUNCIADOR parade with the children capoeiristas from Santo Amaro
20h - Roda de Capoeira at the Terreiro de Jesus
22h – Table of fruits and mingling following the roda

11/28, Santo Amaro
8 am – Leave for Santo Amaro
11 am – Arrival at the Praça da Matriz with a welcome roda
2:30 pm – Capoeira Angola Workshops with M Ivan and Maculelê Workshop with com Erisivaldo at the Barracão of M Ivan
4 pm – Snack and education activity for children (games, songs and painting)
5 pm – Discussion at the Barracão, with M Felipe and the old capoeira mestres of the Recôncavo + Roda
8:30 pm – Film: “Tributo a Mestre Bigodinho” and “Umbigada” at the Praça da Matriz

11/29 - Santiago do Iguape
9 am – Collective breakfast at the Casa do Samba
9:40 am – Leave for Santiago do Iguape
10:30 am – Arrival, capoeira roda, and hang time with the old mestres of the community
1 pm – Lunch in Santiago do Iguape
2 pm – Berimbau and Song Workshop with M Felipe
4 pm – Return to Santo Amaro
5 pm – Closing roda at the Casa do Samba
6:30 pm – Return to Salvador.

Registration: R$130
Includes food, transportation, housing, workshops and a t-shirt.

Warsaw, Poland: Workshops with M Poloca

Week-Long Capoeira Angola Workshops with Mestre Poloca

Fabryka wódek "Koneser", Ząbkowska 27/31, Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Capoeira Angola Group

Capoeira Angola workshops for children
Capoeira Angola workshops for adults
Brazilian batucada workshops
Afrobrazilian film show
lectures and discussions on multiculturalism

Everyone who would like to improve their capoeira skills, and also those with an interest in this unique dance-fight-game, we invite you to take part in Capoeira Angola workshops in Warsaw. Workshops are organized by Warsaw Capoeira Angola school, and our guest will be Mestre Poloca from Salvador, Bahia.

November 2-6, daily trainings:
17:00 - 18:30 children classes
18:30 - 19:30 music classes
19:30 - 21:00 movement classes

November 4
21:00 warsaw Rhythms of Resistance group - idea presentation, batucada
workshop and music jam on afrobrazilian instruments

November 6
21:00 afrobrazilian film show /additionally: brazilian food, film discussion afterwards
The spirit of samba, black music of Brazil, documentary, Jeremy Marre
Pastinha, Uma Vida pela Capoeira, documentary, Carlos Murley

November 7
9:00 - 10:30 children classes
10:30 - 12:00 music classes
12:00 - 15:00 movement classes
18:00 lecture and discussion panel depicting multiculturalism, lead by renowned Polish anthropologists
20:00 music workshops final concert
21:00 open roda

November 8
9:00 - 11:30 music and movement classes
11:30 - 13:30 final roda

Reservations and further information: maciekroz (at) gmail (dot) com
Cost of whole session: 50 euro, children session: 25 euro
We can help you organise a sleeping place.

Thanks to Agnieszka for the information & flyer. Have fun!

"Porque Ele Voa": Besouro the Movie

Ok, so they are calling it "Beetle" (it just does not sound the same...) in the English-language trailer, but the movie Besouro is coming out in Brazil this month. Based on the life of Manoel Henrique Pereira and filmed in Chapada Diamantina, it was apparently quite a massive production, costing millions of dollars and using the special effects guy from "Crouching Tiger". Here is what one article reports:

One of the biggest productions in the history of Brazilian cinema, Besouro (Beetle) is confirmed for theatrical release in Brazil in October 2009 with international launches to follow. Directed by João Daniel Tikhomiroff, Besouro is an action movie set in 1920s Bahia, the story of a legendary capoeira fighter who uses the power of Candomble to fight the harsh conditions which, even post-abolition, the black population endured in Brazil. With action director Huan-Chiu Ku (Kill Bill, Matrix) the film promises spectacular stunt sequences and a soundtrack featuring Gilberto Gil, Naná Vasconcelos, Rica Amabis, Tejo and Naçao Zumbi’s Pupillo.

Here is the "making of" trailer in English on youtube.

And here is the movie's official website.

Looks pretty cool.

With international releases, get ready for an influx of aspiring Besouro/as at your school.

Thanks to Elsie for the link.

Salvador, Brazil: Menina, Quem foi Sua Mestra?

A note from Salvador:

Amig@s,

The Nzinga Institute of Capoeira Angola and the Pierre Verger Foundation invite you to the the event Menina quem foi sua mestra? – with movement and cong workshops, as well as rodas of discussion and capoeira.

Invited guests:
Sônia Santos (Rio de Janeiro)
Mestra Cristina (Rio de Janeiro)
Mestra Elma (Santa Catarina)
Professora Nani Pequeno (Bahia)
Mestra Brisa (Bahia)

Menina Quem Foi Sua Mestra?
Workshops – Lectures – Rodas

November 19 – 22, 2009

Locations:
Instituto Nzinga de Capoeira Angola – R. Alto da Sereia, no. 2, 3rd floor – Rio Vermelho

Fundação Pierre Verger – 2a Travessa da Vila America, 6 – Engenho Velho de Brotas

Information and registration:
Nzinga website
meninaquemfoisuamestra (at) gmail (dot) com
55 – 71- 99999230

Thanks to Ligia for the flyer and note.

Seattle, USA: Afro-Brazilian Arts Festival

A note from the Capoeira Angola community in Washington state:

International Capoeira Angola Foundation Seattle
& the Capoeira Angola Club - Evergreen State College

Invite you to join us for our
FREE
Afro-Brazilian Arts Festival

Exploring Culture through African and
Brazilian Art Forms

November 6 – 7, 2009

The Afro- Brazilian Arts Festival is a FREE event hosted at the Evergreen State College in collaboration between FICA Seattle and the Olympia group. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the intimate connection between African and Brazilian
culture here in the Pacific Northwest. The Festival will include workshops on
Capoeira Angola, Samba Dance, Brazilian Percussion, and West African Dance.
Schedule:

Friday November 6 (Rainier Beach Community Center, Seattle)
7 pm, Opening Roda

Saturday November 7 (Evergreen State
College, Olympia)
10 - 11 am - Brazilian Percussion, Eduardo Mendoca
11:15 - 12:15 - Samba, Dora Oliveira
12:30 - 2:00 - Capoeira Angola, Mestre Jurandir
2:15 - 3:15 - West African Dance, Manimou Camara
3:30 - until - Roda

This is a lively community festival with lots of drumming and dancing. Also, a great opportunity to spend some time with Mestre Jurandir. We hope you can join us!

Have fun! Thanks to Criss for the information.

Bahia, Brasil: DanceBatukeira Bahia 2010

DanceBatukeira Bahia 2010
January 20 - 24, 2010
Fazenda Cultura Ouroverde
Bahia, Brasil

You will be staying in the south Bahia close to historical city of Ilheus and the very famous Itacare surftown for 5 days and nights, participating in Capoeira Angola, Maculele, Afro Brazilian Dance and lots of Drumming classes plus instrument-making workshops, forest hikes, visits to waterfalls and white sand beaches, a forro dance party, and more.

Enjoy and experience classes and workshops of Caxixi, Pandeiro, Atabaque, Batucada drumming, Samba dance, Orixaï Dance, Capoeira Angola Rodas songs and other percussion ensembles and moreï

No prior experience required!! All levels welcome!!!

Space is limited to 35 people so please register soon!!

More information at the event website.

Salvador, Brazil: 7th Feijoada of ACANNE

ACANNE
Associação de Capoeira Angola Navio Negreiro

O Sabor do Saber Ancestral
7a Feijoada da ACANNE

The ACANNE community invites all to taste the Flavor of the Ancestral Knowledge (o Sabor do Saber Ancestral, yes it sounds much better in Portuguese…) during the Month of Black Consciousness.

This year, the event will be augmented to include a series of lectures concerning our struggle and our culture.

On Saturday, a traditional feijoada for Ogum will be served along with the customary canelinha of Iansã.

But don’t forget: everyone must eat with their fingers and everyone must bring a najé bowl.

ACANNE
Rua do Sodré, no. 48 – Largo Dois de Julho – Salvador – Bahia – Brazil
telephone: 71 3321 7496/ 9146 5999
mestrerene (at) yahoo (dot) com
acannezion (at) hotmail (dot) com
website

Schedule of Events
11/11, Wednseday
6 pm, Lecture: “Cheikh Anta Diop, the Senegalese intellectual, and his theory of a Black-African Egypt”, Prof. Paula Vargas Arana, masters in African Studies, El Colêgio de México
7:30 pm, Capoeira Angola class with Mestre Renê Bitencourt

11/13 - Friday
7 pm, Capoeira Angola roda

11/16 – Monday
6 pm, Movie: “Cry Freedom”. Directed by Richard Attenborough, 1987.
7:30 pm, Capoeira Angola class with Mestre Renê Bitencourt

11/18 – Wednesday
6 pm, Lecture: “The Black Consciousness of Stephen Biko and the South African Movement”, Prof. Christianne Vasconcellos, master of Social History, UFBA
7 pm, talk with Elizabeth, a South African from the khosa society (to be confirmed)
7:30 pm, Capoeira Angola class with Mestre Renê Bitencourt

11/20 - Friday
7 pm, Capoeira Angola roda in homage of Zumbi dos Palmares and Black Consciousness Month

11/21 – Saturday
10 am, Capoeira Angola roda, Samba de Roda, and Feijoada

Have fun!

New York City, USA: Celebrating 4 Years

A note from NYC:

hello all,

i just wanted to send a reminder that fica-ny study group will be celebrating its 4th anniversary in just a few weeks. it would be great if you could post this in all the places appropriate and let your groups know as well. we would love to see everyone out here for the roda that sunday (oct 18th, noon-3pm) and, for anyone who can find themselves free, at the anniversary festa throughout the day on saturday (oct 17th, noon-9pm). as always, we have room for anyone who's interested in staying overnight and look forward to accomodating the family. as well, it being sunday, yet another opportunity to add your beautiful presence to mestre joao grande's roda directly after our own.

our details...

fica-ny:
@six harmonies martial arts
232 7th av (between 23rd & 24th st)
new york, ny 10011
roda: sunday, oct 18th noon-3pm

njoli's house:
1118 north wilson av
teaneck, nj 07666
getdown: saturday, oct 17th noon-until...

Ok, who is making the cake?

D.F., México: 5th Anniversary Celebration

From Mexico:

On behalf of FICA-México, we would like to cordially invite you to join us at our fifth year anniversary celebration, "Resgatando as nossas raizes," with Mestre Jurandir, Mestre Cobra Mansa and Contramestre Rogerio Teber.

When: From the 19th to the 22nd of November
Where: Centro Cultural de Capoeira Angola México
Price: Before October 31st, 700 pesos
On or after November 1st, 800 pesos
Per day: 500 pesos

For more detailed information please go to our website.

Hope to see you all there, FICA-MX

Many thanks to KevinG for the info and Happy Birthday to FICA-México!

Sydney, Australia: 4 Mestres for 5 Days

This looks like an exciting event.

3rd International Capoeira Angola Encounter
ECAMAR - School of Capoeira Angola Mato Rasteiro

When: November 18 - 22
Where: Capoeira Angola Cultural Centre, 41 Belmore Street, Sydney, Australia
Invited Mestres: Mestre Moraes, Mestre Augusto Januário and Mestre Virgílio

Hello Capoeiristas,

We are excited about the upcoming event with Mestres Moraes, Augusto Januario and Virgilio from the 18th to the 22nd of November. It is now only a month and a half to go.

Thank you to those who have already paid in full. For those who haven’t quite gotten around to it yet there is still time to get the discounted price before the 15th of October.

We need your support to make this event happen. To have four Mestres of Capoeira Angola together in Sydney, Australia for five days is no easy task but it is a significant contribution to the growth of Capoeira Angola in this region.

We will be running workshops in Berimbau Rhythms, Movement, Singing, Samba de Roda along with discussions with the Mestres about Capoeira Angola and Zumbi dos Palmares and of course unforgettable Rodas.

Join us for the 3rd International Capoeira Angola Encounter in Sydney, Australia

Please feel free to call or email if you have any questions

email: encounter (dot) angolasydney (at) gmail (dot) com
phone: 92121593
website

Have fun!

Mestre Joao Pequeno Officially on the Internet

Exciting news from Salvador regarding another great virtual resource that we all can access:

Dear Friends,

I would like to thank everyone the team of collaborators, visitors, partners, and friends for a big step we have made in the direction of dignity and the spread of information about capoeira.

I speak of a partnership between the great João Pequeno, through his granddaughter Nani, and Portal Capoeira.

This partnership consists of the creation and development of an official website for Mestre João Pequeno, maintained at no cost by Portal Capoeira and will be continued in partnership between Portal Capoeira and Nani.

This site was born in response to the need to dignify and give value to the old mestres and all of their knowledge and experience.

I invite you all to get to know the result of this partnership and visit the Official Site of Mestre João Pequeno.

And now, a bit from the site (translated):

On December 27, 1917, in the city of Araci in the interior of the state of Bahia, João Pereira do Santos was born to Maria Clemença de Jesus, a potter and descendant of native Indians and Maximiliano Pereira dos Santos, a cowboy on the Fazenda Vargem do Canto in the region of Queimadas.

When he was 15 years old (in 1933) he fled the droughts on foot, reaching Alagoinhas, going onto to Mata de São João where he would remain for ten years. He worked on a sugar cane plantation as a “cow caller”. He then met Juvêncio, who was an blacksmith and capoeirista, on the Fazenda São Pedro. This is how he discovered capoeira.

When he was 25 years old, he moved to Salvador, where he worked on a tram and in civil construction as a mason’s assistant. Eventually, he worked his way to become a master mason. It was in this line of work that he met Cândido, who introduced him to Mestre Barbosa, who was a porter in the Largo Dois de Julho. Barbosa led trainings along with a group of friends, and on the weekends he went to Cobrinha Verde’s roda in Chame-Chame.

João became a part of the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola which was a group of capoeiristas coordinated by Mestre Pastinha.

Read more on the site (in Portuguese) or just go and look at the pictures.

Thanks to Nani, Portal Capoeira, and Mestre for their great work.