Singing for Survival: Capoeira History

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In this episode, we talk about the African roots of Capoeira. This is something we have touched upon in several episodes, but I wanted to take some time and talk about what we really mean when we say that. I think the best place to find clues is in other places in the African diaspora and here we will spend some time exploring those arts, and what their commonalities can teach us about their origins!

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In this episode, we take a much broader look at Capoeira history from the beginnings of the Transatlantic Slave Trade up until the modern era. This will hopefully give you a better sense of how the previous episodes fit within the broader context of the longer history!

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In this episode, I dig into the topic of syncretism: what is it, how does it manifest in the Americas, and why do we as Capoeiristas care about it? I'll talk about a few brief examples in both the United Status and in Central America before looking at the most relevant example to Capoeiristas: Candomble.
If you have any questions or think I got anything wrong, don't hesitate to reach out at mike.handslikefeet@gmail.com

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In this episode, I want to delve into a rebellion in the 1800s in Salvador Bahia that I haven't heard discussed very much at all in Capoeira circles I've been a part of. Looking into this rebellion, we can learn a lot about some of the ethnic and demographic changes that occurred throughout the slavery era of Brasil, and how that impacted various movements that were developing and acting in this time. We can also trace a through line between this rebellion and another important one that preceded it, namely the Haitian Revolution. I think it serves as an excellent jumping off point to both learn about the story of that revolution and also see how it ties to and influences rebellion in other parts of Latin America. All of this started from a relatively simple question I had one day: Who were the Malês?

Music included in this episode is Haitian folk music

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Today’s episode is a departure from the standard format of this podcast to revisit a topic we explored back in 2021, which is sexual abuse in capoeira. This remains an ongoing issue, and with this episode, where I am joined by Natasha Távora Baker (Pequena) of the Natasha Explains It All podcast, we hope to get listeners up to speed on what’s been happening since the last episode and what we as a capoeira community can do about it.
Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual violence and abuse, including of minors. 
We reference various resources and campaigns during this episode and they are:
CapoeirAcolher, on Instagram @capoeiracolher: supporting survivors of sexual abuse in capoeira and doing prevention work in Brazil 
Please support the GoFundMe campaign to get CapoeirAcolher formally off the ground and registered as a non-profit.
https://gofund.me/62e2b467
Participate in the #RaulPresente (on Instagram @raulpresente) campaign to bring justice to capoeirista Raul, who was abused by his capoeira instructor: Record video of yourself in support of victims of sexual abuse within capoeira and end by saying “Raul presente” (Raul present) to raise awareness and put pressure on the judiciary to move Raul’s case forward

Mestra Colibri of Capoeira Brasil Chicago
School’s website: https://colibricb.com/
School’s code of conduct: https://colibricb.com/code-of-conduct/
Instagram: @chicagocapoeiracenter @katiacolibri
Youtube: @katiacolibri
Participate in Mestra Colibri’s global survey on Identifying Barriers to Women in Capoeira, in English (for the US), in English (for non-US), Portuguese, Spanish, German, and French
Marias Felipas, a collective doing work to promote gender equity in capoeira, on Instagram @mariasfelipas 
The Ahimsa Collective, https://www.ahimsacollective.net/, is one organization that can help your group navigate conflict and harm repair