Practitioners Of Capoeira

The modernize approach of religion and traditions of the old African culture now converted into an Afro-Brazilian culture that still has an impact and exists today which is also still celebrated in Brazil. I believe that without slavery, many of the importance of both sides of society selling slaves and buying slaves would not have shaped humanity in the modern world. “Two centuries had seen African and European cultural religious and linguistic habits merging into unique Afro-Brazilian social and religious customs, music, and storytelling (Nellis 62).” The cultural influence of Afro-Brazilians has persistently grew from celebrations like carnaval into a mainstream popular culture. Brazil holds a variety of different ideas, culture and people. These ideas and traditions include musical interests, dancing, different food dishes, literature and art, festivities, and religious practices.

Dance began as a form of communication and storytelling. Thousands of years ago dancing served as a way for people to tell a story and helped distract themselves of the hardships they faced. Furthermore, dance was a form of storytelling through communication, which then turned into using storytelling through dance as entertainment. According to the History World, many dancers during the BC time danced in front of only a few people to get a story across. That later turned into hundreds of thousands of people as dance was used by many. Today, dance is also a form of entertainment and storytelling, but in a modern sense. However, today perfection and technique are stressed more than they were in the past. Yet, the passion for dance has not changed. Many dancers who share this passion also have many of the same qualities. Among a discourse community of trained dancers, one expects to find individuals who are healthy and active athletes, expect perfection from themselves through competition, and religiously attend dance performances.

Different nations have different cultural practices. Even though globalization has to lead to the extinction of numerous cultures, most Americans and Brazilians still practice their traditional cultures. Today most people think that because Brazil is in America, they have the same culture. This is not true since both America and Brazil have numerous differences regarding their culture.

Slave resistance began for many enslaved Africans before they reach the Americas. Karenga explained the many arrangements in which Africans resisted to enslavement, while in Africa, during the middle passage, and in the Americas. Employing the Karenga text one can evaluate the different resistances that transpired in Antigua as Cultural, Resistance, Day-to-Day Resistance, Abolitionism, Armed Resistance, Revolts, Ship Mutinies, and Afro-Native Alliance. One can conclude that enslaved Africans had an unrelenting resistance to enslavement (Karenga).

Dance has always been the focal point in which Africans are able to let free through movements of emotion. In this essay I will discuss the history of African Dance and its importance to the African Culture. Also will be discussing the general information of African dance, the different types of African dance and the ones that I like the most. Dance in the African culture is something that cannot be taken advantage of in the African Culture because it holds such a strong meaningful moment at the time of any occasion.

Abina and the Important Men is the tale of an west African woman from Ashantee who was abducted twice and sold multiple times as a slave. The book is about her trial at court and her prosecution against Quamina Eddoo. Quamina Eddoo is a wealthy man that farms palm oil that owns young slaves. Slavery in the Gold Coast at the time was illegal due to British colonization and their abolition of slavery. Enforcing British rule against slavery was difficult in the Gold Coast. British rule clearly dictates that slavery is illegal, however, slavery was what kept the Gold Coast economy going and was apart of their tradition. At the time, palm oil was one of the staples of their economy, in which the British profited from significantly, and child slaves did the field work. If the British enforce their slavery laws against all the rich landowners who produce this oil, it would destroy the economy and relations with the powerful locals. Abina’s case was one of horrible circumstance, but provides a unique approach of historical significance.

Afro Brazilians have had to deal with centuries of oppression. During these times, Afro-Brazilians have had to deal with various methods, and strategies designed to keep entire communities oppressed. Many of these methods have had effects so profound, they are still affecting many Brazilians till this day. Political oppression is one of the oldest methods known to man, along with unleashing a forceful police force mimicking military forces. Authoritarian rule also played a major role in the shaping of the country. Furthermore, an inept biased justice system will fail those who need protections, and justice the most. These four key modes will be objectively examined, as well as the efficacy of each of these repressive strategies, and the impact that they have had or still have in the Afro-Brazilian communities.

Within a matter of months, I went from knowing close to nothing about Brazilian music to now knowing not only about the music, but the culture of Brazil as well. We have studied many genres including Samba Afro, Samba Reggae and Axé, all of which are unique in their own way, but also have many similarities. Essentially, each one of there specific genres ties back to candomble in some way. In addition to candomble, they also heavily relate back to the African heritage and history. The 1980’s proved to be a pivotal turning point for all of these genres as the abolition of slavery was taking place.

This is a traditional Brazil religion practiced by the Africans communities living there . The dance was performed to appease their gods. It is done in traditional styles derived from the Yoruba and Bantu traditions. The songs and dances were developed by African priests who were traded as slaves. The priests had strong African beliefs and had gained great experience on the task thus they could easily influence more followers. The religion had no formal scripture and the priests used the word of mouth to pass their message to their congregations. The believers were followers of a god by the name Oludumaré who they asserted was their creator. The oludumare has his servants called the Orishas. The Orishas are in every person and every Orisha is assigned an individual to offer protection. The believers organize a number of ceremonies each year to commemorate some important events. In the ceremonies, Candomblé songs fill the air. The believers also offer offerings to their

A quilombo is a settlement founded by runaway slaves of African descent, the most famous of these communities was Palmares. This free territory was established in the 1600s and lasted about eighty-nine years, which is longer than any other quilombo in Brazil. In 1984, the director Carlos Diegues brought this overlooked history back into mainstream consciousness with his film Quilombo. The main historical topic covered in this film is the spirit and resistance of African people once they were separated from their homeland and subjected into slavery. History often portrays these kidnapped Africans as helpless and submissive but they did not give up their freedom quickly or silently. Diegues created this film not just to highlight the

During Brazil’s first few decades of colonialism, the Portuguese decided that to control the population they would directly enslave them. Captured native people were the ones that labored on the first sugar mills. Native slavery was abolished in Brazil in the 1570s but exceptions were made if a Native was captured during “just war”. Although a loophole existed that allowed for Natives to still be enslaved, by the 1590s it didn’t matter because they were

I must say that my hole spring quarter has been dedicated to deepening my overall understanding of West-African dance alone. In preparation this to study with the Urban Bush this summer I wanted to make sure that I was able to develop a stronger foundation in my West-African dance technique this quarter. My Mondays and Wednesday from 2:00-6:30 were dedicated to Professor Parker's ( Makeda- Kumasi) West-African dancing and drumming classes held at UCR. I also seeked outside the classroom to gain a community experience of this dance genre so that I could compare and contrast the similarities and differences I found. My goals were to truly embody the many elements that are associated in this dance genre. In my discoveries I was able to

When looking at Italian, Carlos Julião, Enslaved market women, Rio De Janeiro, ca. 1170s, watercolor, and Dutch, Albert Eckhout, [Mameluke woman with a basket of flowers], 1614, both images give us an insight to the way each artist viewed Brazil. By looking at certain parts of Brazil’s history and comparing these two images we will see how each artist depicts the female body, costume and commodity in a way that demands a specific reaction from the intended audience. Eckhout, a master of flora and fauna, uses his style to express Brazil's beauty and economic implications, often times favored by the Dutch. Julião’s work emphasizes inequalities between individuals from different classes

Brazil's individual national character and rich musical tradition are the result of a profound mingling of races that has been ongoing in the country since the landing of Pedro Alvares Cabral in April 1500. Even before this event the indigenous Indians of Brazil had an already conventional musical culture; they sang in chorus and solo, played horns, whistles, and flutes, and beat out rhythms with foot-stamping, beats, hand-clapping, rattles, and drums. With the Portuguese invasion came the violin, piano, clarinet, guitar, and tambourine. These were incorporated into the musical forms of modinha, moda, fofa, acalanto, and fado, which were songs of lullaby, sentiment, and dance. The Portuguese also brought religious festivals and pageants such as the bumba-meu-boi and reisado. The former in festivity of the Epiphany and the latter a rich enactment of the death and resurrection of a mythical bull. Entrudo, a rude festivity considered to be the precursor to Carnival, was also brought by the Portuguese. Less than forty years after the arrival of Cabral, the first African slaves were brought to Brazil. With them came another racial, cultural, and musical infusion. There were three main ethnic groups that contributed to the boiling Brazilian melting pot: the Sudanese, the Bantu, and the Moslem Guinea-Sudanese. They contributed the circle dance and lundu song, a precursor to the samba. (Smith)

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines facets of dance, music and acrobatics and body language. It was developed in Brazil by African descendants with indigenous influences, probably in the early sixteenth century. It is known for its rapid and complex movements using his arms and legs to execute maneuvers great agility in the form of kicks, feints and tackles, among others. Capoeira fighting style incorporates as low and swept movements while in sport more emphasis on acrobatics and ritualized displays of skill becomes. It is practiced with traditional music of the berimbau.