A rich history has evolved the spirit of capoeira into what it is today - to truly understand the game, one must look back to its roots.
Capoeira similar to today's game was developed by slaves in Brazil in the 18th century, who used it to escape their slave masters. The music has always been integral, particularly the berimbau, a wooden bow with a steel wire with a dry, hollowed out gourd at one end to amplify the sounds.
Can you play capoeira without the music? "Of course - do you think when the slaves ran into the forest, trying to escape the Portuguese they were thinking about music?," laughs Cleber Da Silva. "But really, it's not the same in the roda... you lose the dendê. " Dendê is a spicy oil used in Brazilian cooking, with a strong flavour - the word is used to express feeling and life.
Later, in 1888, the slaves were set free, but racism was rife and jobs scarce. Capoeira became associated with criminals and was made illegal. Players developed a style on the berimbau to alert capoeristas in order that they could flee from police. It was only in the 1930s that the two most renowned maestros Bimba and Pastinha, together with President Vargas finally got capoeira recognised as a sport.
As Da Silva's assistant teacher, Bia Viana, says: "It's important to understand the meanings of the songs - people ask why this kind of music? It's because of the messages, the history, the comradeship."
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