A Very BRIEF History of Capoeira!

Hello and happy New Year from Mao Pelo Pe! This year I will be returning to blogging and part of that will be going over important Capoeira history discussions. To kick this off, I wanted to go over a surface level sketching of the historical timeline so that you can get a sense of where things fit along the course of history. I think it is easiest to understand the broader history by talking about a few key eras which I've sketched out below. In the coming weeks, I'll be providing a lot more detail on the events and people mentioned in these sections.

Capoeira in its modern birthplace: Salvador, Bahia

The Slavery Era (1500s–1888) This period spans from the Portuguese colonization in the 1500s to the Golden Law in 1888. This is the crucible where African traditions collided with the brutal reality of the New World. While we don’t have Capoeira academies here, we have the Quilombos —communities of escaped enslaved people like Palmares, led by Zumbi. While Zumbi wasn’t a "capoeirista" in the modern sense, his use of African fighting tactics makes him the first "honorary capoeirista" and a symbol of resistance. Toward the end of this era, we see the Paraguayan War (1864–1870), where enslaved men were drafted with promises of freedom, an event immortalized in the song "Paranaue",.

The Prohibition Era (1888–1930s) After the abolition of slavery in 1888, the state crackdown began. Capoeira was made explicitly illegal, moving from a tool of liberation to a tool of street survival. This is the time of the Maltas_in Rio de Janeiro—gangs like the Nagoas and Guayamus that used capoeira to control neighborhoods and serve as political enforcers. It was a time of repression, but also of legendary malandros like Manduca da Praia, who navigated the underworld with a razor and a silk suit.

The Academy Era (1930s–1970s) Everything changed in 1932 when Mestre Bimba founded the first official Capoeira school in Salvador, Bahia. He took Capoeira from the streets, formalized it as Luta Regional Baiana, and eventually helped get the ban lifted. Shortly after, in 1941, Mestre Pastinha founded the first Capoeira Angola school to preserve the more traditional, African roots of the art. This shift from street to academy changed how the art was taught and perceived by Brazilian society.

The Global Era (1970s–Present) In the 1960s and 70s, groups like Senzala in Rio began developing the faster, more acrobatic "contemporary" style. This era saw the franchising of large groups and, crucially, the export of Capoeira to the world. Mestres like Jelon and João Grande brought the art to the United States in the mid-70s, planting the seeds for the global community we have today.

History isn't just dates; it's living. Whether we are singing about the Maltas of Rio or dealing with modern issues like making our rodas safe and inclusive for everyone, we are part of this continuing timeline. For a more detailed discussion of this timeline, check out my podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/24SEfbEX5tOcSAjeOG0Eyc?si=JooFgfShRz2kKdBx3BGmWg

Feel free to send any questions my way and I'll be back with more soon!

-Instructor Mike