Contra-Mestre Lua Branca at an outdoor roda
This coming Saturday Toronto plays host to its yearly festival Afrofest, a hugely popular African Music and Arts festival that attracts thousands of people to Queen’s Park.
It is perhaps the most fitting location for that most African of Brazilian cultural manifestations, capoeira. Capoeira, for those not yet acquainted with it, is the Afro-Brazilian martial art that is “disguised” as a “dance” and practiced as a game. It involves a lot of tickery, flowing movements, and a certain amount of acrobatic prowess. It’s history is steeped in the history of colonization and the slave trade, and has a certain inherent liberation movement attached to it, whether it be mental or corporal. Capoeira indeed was a way for the marginalized people of Brazil to teach tradition, sport, mindfulness and combat.
a capoeira roda from the old days in Salvador Bahia, Brazil
The Roda.
In capoeira, the roda is the circle that is created by participants or observers in which the capoeiristas play. The game is played to live percussive music and singing. Normally you will see the people who play music on one side of the circle, bunched together. The capoeiristas cartwheel (known as aú) into the circle from the foot of the instruments and begin to play.
The instruments can range from seven to three or even just one. The main instrument in capoeira is the berimbau. It is a bow pulled taught with a resonant gourd attached to it that is played using a small tick tapped rhythmically on the string above the gourd.
The Open Roda
The “open roda” is a roda where all groups and capoeiristas are welcome and encouraged to attend. While in theory all rodas are open and anybody can attend, many capoeira groups tend to have what are called in-house rodas that focus mostly upon their students and their particular style of capoeira. The great thing about open rodas is that because they are purposely called open rodas, the vibe is one of cross-group unity and camaraderie between groups. Normally people from different groups will use these occasions to play someone they have never seen before, usually, and hopefully, in good spirits.
Open roda from 2009 Afrofest roda with Rio Mate representing
This year Capoeira Malês led by the formidable Contra Mestre Lua Branca will host the “official roda” at Afro-fest. And even though the FIFA world cup will be happening on the same day, don’t fret because they will be broadcast on three big screens throughout the park.
Participants in Malês last open roda
Here is their fomal invite from their Facebook page:
THE OFFICIAL AFROFEST RODA
Hosted by Grupo Capoeira Malês
SATURDAY, JULY 10 @ 2:00 pm
in front of the Olatunji Drum Stage
(FIFA matches will be shown live on three BIG screens during Afrofest!)
Grupo Capoeira Malês invites all capoeiristas in Toronto to join us for an OPEN RODA at the 22nd annual Afrofest at Queen’s Park.
As part of Afrofest’s official schedule, we have a SPECIFIED time slot for the roda. Please arrive on time to get the most opportunity for playing! There are performers using the stage area before and after us!
The roda will start with kids and then open up to adults. Capoeristas of all levels and abilities are welcome and encouraged to join us in the spirit of community and exchange.
All capoeiristas are asked to please WEAR FULL WHITES. If you do not have a white uniform from a group, please wear a white top and pants.
Visit the Afrofest website for more information on the weekend festival: http://www.musicafrica.org/
Any questions please email info@capoeiraschool.ca or call Alegria at 416-388-8706.
SPREAD THE WORD and hope to see you there!
Here is a video of Contra Mestre Lua Branca and professor Chaveco playing at Brazil Day in Toronto 2009
