WHAT IS CAPOEIRA?
A. A. Decânio Filho
Translation by Shayna McHugh
Capoeira
is a fight...
Taught
and practiced as a dance!
…it
can be used as defense…
and as attack…
in
an hour of necessity!
in
the words of the Mestres Bimba and Pastinha!
Capoeira is an art…
the
art of living well…
DISPUTED AS A FIGHT…
“it kills even without wanting!”
…said Mestre Bimba…
“and
the good of life is not to die!”
…completed
Mestre Pastinha!
UNITY, SPORT, AND UNIVERSAL LOVE
A. A. Decânio Filho
Translation by Shayna McHugh
Bendito
the African!
…from
the rhythm of the sobs from banishment and slavery…
arose
the dance of liberty, equality, and fraternity!
…that
unites old people and children…
…men
and women…
…masters
and students…
…of
all colors and nations…
…in
the songs of the “Psalms of São Salomão”!
THREE BASIC “R”S
A. A. Decânio Filho
Translation by Shayna McHugh
Capoeira
is a strange word...
that
is written with a smooth “rê”…
and
is practiced with three “r”s…
the
first is RHYTHM... the second RITUAL… the third is RESPECT…
Without these capoeira is not played!
ARPÃO-DE-CABEÇA
A. A. Decânio Filho
Translation by Shayna McHugh
...a
strange vertical turn on the feet...
…with
the arms open…
…waiting
for a cabeçada…
…cancelled
with a joelhada in the face of the colleague…
…who
already entered with the hands crossed…
…in
defense of the hostile knee!
...!? ARPÃO?!...
...!? de CABEÇA !!!???...
In
“Aurélio” we find...
ARPÃO:
iron in the shape of an arrow, fixed to a handle to be driven into a prisoner.
…we understand!
…“the arrow is the head”…
…“the handle is the curved trunk of the body”…
…“the legs are the propelling force…
…aiming
to drive the arpão <the head>…
…into
the exposed chest <open arms>…
…of
he who asks for it…
…thus is the “pedido de arpão de cabeça”!
IMPROVISATION, INTELLIGENCE AND CAPOEIRA
A.
A. Decânio Filho
Translation
by Shayna McHugh
Capoeira,
by its own nature, is a game of intelligence...
The
hiding-hiding, a make believe, an eternal improvisation…
A
continuous enjoyment!
He
who wins is he who deceives the most and the best…
…to
deceive it is necessary to have malícia…
It
is necessary to have intelligence!
A
stupid capoeirista is an error of logic…
A
capoeirista cannot be an idiot, because…
Capoeira
is the opposite of stupidity!
We
begin by the existence of the chula, short improvisation that initiates the play…
To
improvise in singing it is necessary to be a poet…
To
be a poet it is necessary to be intelligent!
A
donkey doesn’t make verses, it only brays!
To
sing the introductory improvisation…
The
singer should know all the literary-philosophical repository of the roda…
Manifest
it in a way rhymed according to the musical tradition of capoeira…
Respecting
the heritage of the Africans…
Singing
in a tonal style…
Adjusting
our speech to the tone of the Yorubas…
So
he cannot be stupid…
Nor
stubborn like the donkey!
MOCKERING (GOZAÇÃO)
A. A. Decânio Filho
Capoeira
is a mockering of life
Full of joy and kindness
Plenty of beauty and liveness
Hiding danger and death
A eternal surprize!
Or...
... as Master Suassuna would sing...
Capoeira é uma imitação da vida
Cheia de alegria e gentilezas
Repleta
de beleza e vitalidade
Escondendo o perigo e a morte
Uma eterna surpresa!
THE LEGEND
OF THE ORIXÁS
Pierre
Fatumbi Verger e Carybé, in “The African legends of the orixás”
Translation by Shayna McHugh
A
balalaô told me:
“In
ancient times, the orixás were men.
Men
who became orixás because of their powers.
Men
who became orixás because of their wisdom.
They
were respected because of their strength
They
were venerated because of their virtues.
We
worship their memory and the great feats that they achieved.
It
was thus that these men became orixás.
Men
were numerous on the earth.
In
ancient times, as today,
Many
of them were neither brave nor wise.
The
memory of these was not perpetuated.
They
were completely forgotten.
They
did not become orixás.
In
each village a cult was established
Around
the remembrance of an ancestral of prestige
And
legends were transmitted from generation to generation
To
render them homage.”
CAPOEIRA OF THE OLD TIMES AND OF NOW
MESTRE CANJIQUINHA
Translation by Shayna McHugh
“The
capoeira of the old times was a beautiful thing.
It
had much malícia.
One
played with pants, jacket, hat, and tie and did not get dirty.
One
guy did not hurt the other.
He
only lifted his foot at the right time.”
“Today
capoeira is more violent
It
has more violence
Than
capoeira itself.”
“Capoeira
is a dance and a physical education.
If
it has berimbau and pandeiro, it becomes folklore.
But,
if it has an instrument (stick, razor, knife, machete) it is a fight”
“In
the old times when it was done with violence one defended oneself with all certainty.”
(“A alegria da capoeira” [The joy of capoeira], pag.
22)
WORDS OF THE
MESTRE
A.A. Decânio Filho
Translation by Shayna McHugh
ALL
THE MESTRES SING
“Baraúna
caiu!”
“Quanto mais eu!”
“Quanto mais eu!”
BIMBA,
MY MESTRE, TOLD ME WELL
Negativa,
rasteira, and queda make up part of the capoeira game.
The
negativa is the preparation to fall,
With
safety and elegance
The
capoeirista can fall…
Without
hurting himself… like the cat!
Without dirtying his clothes…
Soft like a cotton flower! IT IS
UGLY TO FALL ON THE BUTT!
