Capitães de Areia
Grupo folclórico de Capoeira
Berlin - Alemanha
Deutsch / English
Our contribution to this year’s Carnival of Cultures 25-28 May depicted the history behind the transportation of African slaves to Brazil on the slave ship
NAVIO NEGREIRO. It told the story of their century-long oppression, the origins of the fight for freedom and a form of martial arts called Capoeira, for many runaway slaves in the slave territories – the Quilombos – the only means of defending themselves against the Portuguese and Dutch colonial authorities seeking to recapture them.
Mestre King Kong and Mestre Marinaldo took part in Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures for the third time running this year, actively supporting young people’s performances as well as the formations by Capoeirista Block, Afro Dance Block and the Bloco do Povão – keeping everybody’s hips moving to the non-stop grooves of our live band.
Our very special thanks go to the German-Polish Youth Group dpjw for their generous support this year for our youth movement.
This year saw the 11th Carnival of Cultures, which we have taken part in since its inception in 1996.
During the 7th International Capoeira Festival, the Schöneberg Sports Hall was open to all interested Berliners and their friends on 2 – 3 June. On 4 June, Whit Sunday, we took part in the big carnival parade in Kreuzberg; our theme was CARNAVAL ELÉTRICO.
2006 was the year of the World Cup football tournament in Germany, and of course football played a big part in our theme. During Whitsuntide, 2 – 5 June, The Capitães portrayed the success of the five-times world cup champions Brazil with the theme CARNAVAL ELÉTRICO. But we also represented all the other world champion teams to date, as well as the greatest footballers of all time. Present again this year was Mestre King Kong from Salvador da Bahia, who led the workshops of the 7th International Capoeira Festival in the Schöneberg Sports Hall.
The colourful decoration of our float was a homage to all football fans in the world and the impressive formation included the Capoeiristas, a live band and sumptuously costumed female dancers, as well as the Bloco do Povão, the name originates from Salvador for a group of spontaneously dancing carnival fans, ‘pipocas’ (popcorn). This year we invited all football fans to join in as ‘pipocas’, decked out in their different football shirts to join in. Once again, for the third time, we won the prize for the most beautiful float.
In celebration of our participation in the 10th Carnival of Cultures, from 13 - 16 May we presented the theme NORTH-EAST BRAZIL, a historical, geographical and cultural journey through the nine states of Brazil’s north-east.
We reported about the coastal rainforest, the Sertão, drought, sugar cane and cacao plantations and the tourism of the famous beaches of the north-east which plays an important part in this region. We also reported about Forró and Quadrilha and the meaning of the traditional festivals for the Nordestinos as well as their heroes Lampião, Antonio Conselheiro, Padre Cicero and Zumbà dos Palmares.
Mestre King Kong, one of the most famous Capoeira masters from Salvador da Bahia, took part for the first time in Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures. He lead the choreography of the Capoeira group and directed the workshops.
We are deeply indebted to the German-Polish Youth Association for their enthusiastic support in the realisation of this year’s project.
This year we depicted the beginnings of Carnival as it is known in Brazil today. It all began in 1942 in Pernambuco, when Adolfo “Dodô” Nascimento and Osmar Alvares Macedo went to a concert where a musician played a new kind of guitar, the electric guitar. Unfortunately the performance was continually interrupted by technical problems. But Dodô, an expert in electrical matters, was inspired by the concept of the electric guitar and with Osmar’s help he developed the so-called ‘Baian guitar’. In 1950, at the request of the Governer of Bahia, the two played in the street carnival of Salvador, the capital of Bahia. The ‘Electronic Duo’ seized their opportunity and played the new guitar on a moving1929 Ford station wagon. Their success was phenomenal and the people dancing in the wake of the vehicle were euphoric. The following year Dodô and Osmar invited their friend, the musician TemÃstoles Aragão, to play with them. The duo turned into a trio. They played on an old pick-up truck whose sides were plastered with two large posters bearing the words “TRIO ELÉTRICO”. From then on all trucks with musicians playing this new kind of music were called ‘Trio Elétrico’. We portrayed the origin of Trio Elétrico with a formation consisting of the Tribal Afro Dance Block, the Capoeiristas, the Maculelê Block and the Bloco do Povão. It was in the latter, in Salvador da Bahia, where the spontaneously dancing fans were given the name ‘pipoca’ (popcorn). Under the banner of the 5th Capoeira Festival we organised a photo exhibition of our ten years of social-cultural work in the Schöneberg Sports Hall (28 – 29 May).
In the folklore of the Brazilian slave rebellion, the QUILOMBO DOS PALMARES stands out as the place where a black nation developed, which for a hundred years afforded constant ferocious resistance to the Portuguese and Dutch colonial powers. In the northern mountain region of Alagoas and in the southern region of Pernambuco a new society, complete with its own economy, language, religion and unique family structure emerged in the 17th century. Lead by the warriors Ganga–Zumba and ZumbÃ, fugitive black slaves, native indians, whites, mulattos and mestizos developed their own unique survival and resistance strategies including the martial art form known as Capoeira, thus enabling them to defend their republic without arms to the bitter end. The spirit of Zumbà dos Palmares lives on even today in Brazil and in the world of the Capoeira. These national heroes are commemorated every year on 20 November.
The 7th Carnival of Cultures 17 - 20 May united the Capitães de Areia with the 3rd International Capoeira Festival. Over four days the infectious energy of the Brazilian martial arts dance was the focus of numerous Capoeiristas from every corner of the world. The highlight of the Festival and the Carnival of Cultures was the visit by Mestre João Pequeno, the last surviving legend of the Capoeira of Angola and Mestre Emm, founder of the group Capitães de Areia in Brazil. Other Mestres came with their students from London, Amsterdam, Nuremberg, Poland and Switzerland to join a number of Capoeira groups from Berlin to experience the esteemed Brazilian visitors ‘in the flesh’.
Unfortunately the weather gods weren’t smiling on the carnival celebrations this year. But despite – or perhaps because of – the pouring rain, the Capitães de Areia and their countless guests didn’t let it spoil the good mood. As every year, an enormous amount of love and effort went into the preparation of the parade dances and costumes. The Pelourinho - Salvador da Bahia was the backdrop for this year’s theme, a homage to Jorge Amado, one of Brazil’s most famous writers. He understands and portrays life in Bahia with his lyrical words like no other. We named our Capoeira group after one of his most successful books, Capitães da Areia – ‘Captains of the Sands’. Jorge Amado was made an honorary member of the Capitães de Areia some years ago.
Ras Ciro Lima de Trindade, the master student accompanying his Mestre João Pequeno to Berlin, declared during this year’s parade ‘Reggae-val’ instead of ‘Carnival’. Together with Gil Felix and his Banda Passo 48 direct from Salvador, he really got things going with the Afro-Brazilian rhythms on the Trio Elétrico. The enthusiasm of the carnival dancers swelled over to the ranks of the public along the carnival’s route. A sea of people accompanied the float, infected by the passion and the joy of the Capoeiristas.
interview with Mestre João Pequeno, Mestre Emm and Mestre Ciro Trindade
BAHIA DE TODOS OS SANTOS – ALL SAINTS BAY in Brazil’s Salvador da Bahia epitomizes the history of the local street carnival.
The ‘Captains of the Sands’ as portrayed on 1 - 4 June showed the history of Bahia, of the Orixás, the spiritual wealth of the religious syncretism and the history of the local street carnival.
The Trio Elétrico played live – accompanied by the Capoeiristas, costumed female dancers and an Afro Bahia Orixás Block. Capoeira masters and students also participated in the 2nd International Capoeira Festival, which took place in the Schöneberg Sports Hall on 1 and 2 June.
The Carnival of Cultures took place during Pentecost on 9 - 12 June. In addition to a float with live Brazilian music, we also had Capoeira workshops and performances in connection with the 1st International Capoeira Festival and the 2nd Batizado. This year we won the prize for the most beautiful float in the parade. Our theme was THE AMAZON – THE WORLD’S MIGHTIEST RIVER.
The Amazon is not only the largest river on earth: the discovery of huge stocks of mineral wealth and the worlds largest mainland oil reserve, the rapid progress of pharmaceutical products, and enormous global interest in the fate of the rainforest natives – all these bring unrest in the Amazon basin.
Extensive clearing of the rain forest has caused serious soil erosion and will gradually lead to the Amazon silting up. It is high time to call a halt to this destruction. By now it must be apparent to all of us that it is the duty of the entire human race to preserve the ecology of the biggest tropical rainforest and the longest river in the world.
On 23 May the Capitães appearance at the Carnival of Cultures had the banner THE INDIANS OF THE AMAZON. Our float, decorated by a large number of voluntary helpers represented a piece of original Amazon rainforest. This year our group won the overall first prize.
The float was a homage to the ‘tribal resistance’, a resistance against the destruction of the tribes of Amazon Indians and Africans and the indigenous people who still inhabit the forests today. The ‘Captains of the Sands’ illustrated the theme with Afro-Brazilian percussion. Children and wheelchair dancers in fancy dress accompanied the float, and were painted with the natural red-tinged ‘orocum’ found in the Amazon region.
The realisation of the project was only possible thanks to the voluntary assistance of many association members and other helpers. Financing of the project was made possible solely through the backing of our sponsors.
Salve o planeta Amazonia! The destruction of the habitat of the Amazon Indians continues. On 31 May the ‘Captains of the Sands’, together with countless children, seniors and wheelchair dancers in fancy dress demonstrated for the protection of the region’s environment and inhabitants under the title of THE AMAZON – THE PLANET’S GREEN LUNGS. With the increasing influence of civilisation this picture has changed dramatically. The rainforest, known as ‘the planet’s green lungs’ due to its enormous production of oxygen, has in many places been devastated, burnt or smothered in oil. The indigenous people are gradually having their organic way of life taken away from them. This is an urgent situation that we would like to draw attention to.
THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST OF THE AMAZON was the theme this year and the ‘Captains of the Sands’ donned costumes evoking the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest. The tropical rainforest is the oldest, richest and also most sensitive eco-system on earth. Many different life forms have, to a great extent, survived the climatic changes over the last 60 million years from the Ice age up to today, as nowhere else in the world: the overall number of native flora and fauna living there today are estimated to be several million.
Humans have also been living in the rainforest for quite sometime: it’s estimated that people have been living in the area for 12.000 years, and for the past 5.000 years agricultural techniques have been employed. All of the native Indian tribes living in the Amazons lay great importance to living harmoniously and nondestructively with nature.
Initial talks were held with all interested groups and clubs towards the end of 1995 about setting up a ‘Carnival of Cultures’ in Berlin. Capitães de Areia was there from the very beginning, contributing ideas and years of experience from the street carnivals of Salvador da Bahia.
As early as January and April 1996 the first opening Carnival parties took place in Berlin’s ‘Kulturbrauerei’ and ‘UFA-Fabrik’, where we gave performances of music and Capoeira shows. On 15 May we were invited to open the OLODUM concert in the Berlin Arena with a Capoeira show. Olodum is one of the most famous Brazilian cultural groups of Axé Music. The following day, 16 May, the first CARNIVAL OF CULTURES took place in the Berlin suburb of Kreuzberg.
This event was received extraordinarily well by both the general public and the participating artists from all over the world. Under this umbrella we were able to invite performance groups from all corners of the globe to Berlin to demonstrate the various forms of street festivities and cultural celebration unique to their own societies.
The Carnival of Cultures shows that it is possible to bring diverse peoples together, irrespective of ethnic or religious backgrounds.
Capitães de Areia e.V. | Wilhelmshavener Str. 32 | 10551 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 / 395 7883 | Fax: +49 30 / 395 6778 | Email: info@capitaes-de-areia.com