Travel Techni-colour The

Travel Techni-colour The sophisticated cabin of the Jaguar XE complements the sizzle and bustle of Salvador’s Largo do Pelourinho neighbourhood capoeirista who has written extensively about capoeira and cultural identity, he laments its commodification and is firmly against it becoming a competitive sport. He believes it to be more cultural than sporting: “It is not about winners and losers, it is not competition but connection. It is a philosophical dialogue.” Pedro doesn’t want to see capoeira annexed by gyms and sold to consumers. He sees it as a powerful agent of healing and equality in a fractured society. Pedro also explains that despite capoeira’s status as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage, its credibility is still not universally accepted and there is a lingering stigma. As slavery was coming to an end in the late 19th century and urbanisation increased, capoeira was hijacked by criminal gangs, and prohibited in the early 20th century. Anyone caught practising capoeira would suffer arrest and often torture. Before visiting Salvador, I had been dimly aware of capoeira through Nokia adverts and BBC idents of two men sparring on a roof. Computer game Tekken has a capoeira fighter, while Vincent Cassel’s character in Ocean’s Twelve contorts himself through strobing laser security using capoeira. But these displays only tell a fraction of the story, a gymnastic battle divorced from the music, lyrics, spirituality and play that make it such a rich and involving art. It was not until I saw capoeira in context that I really began to glimpse its beating heart. I clamber down narrow stairs to Fundação Mestre Bimba, Mestre Nenel’s academy named after his father. I can feel the energy rising even before I arrive in a small subterranean room packed with students clad in white cotton. Cramped around the small roda (circle of play) is a raucous assembly of all shapes and ages. In the centre, two players move slowly, eyes locked on each other, mirroring and answering one another’s moves. They seamlessly feint, leg sweep, roll over one another in a mischievous hypnotic dance. The mood is playful and collaborative. A new pair moves into the roda, rocking back and forth. There is a palpable sense of good will, respect and community. Everyone is smiling, clapping and singing along to the berimbau’s twang. A singlestringed percussion instrument, the berimbau is a core component of capoeira. Students are expected to learn both how to make and play them before they can achieve mestre status. The word literally translates to master, 24 / Jaguar Magazine Jaguar Magazine / 25