Parabens!

It is a thrill to find out that the International Capoeira Angola Foundation officially recognized its first female MestrA - Gege Poggi! It's a proud day to be an angoleir@!!!

Summer is no time to be idle...

it's time that can be used to prepare cabacas and arame for berimbaus!

Summer 2015

Carver Gym is closing its doors for the summer. Back to Boulevard Park!

Monday June 8th: 6:30pm to...
Thursday June 11th: 8:00pm till sunset
Monday June 15th: 6:30pm to...
Thursday June 18th: 7:30pm to...

What will happen after that is still up to negotiation at least until mid-August.

...se todos juntarem as maos!

Words cannot adequately express the gratitude that we feel for the opportunity to have such a great weekend of capoeira.

Lindsey and Leika playing at the Bellingham Farmers' Market, with our very special guest Treinel Eva on Gunga

a women's bateria at the end of the roda on saturday evening

Mestre Silvinho and ContraMestre Kamau look on as they orient us us on the roda on Sunday Morning

I was reminded - yet again, about the ways in which the small roda of capoeira simulates life, the great roda.
Without the support and the energy of all the members of the community, each one contributing what they can (their voice, their energy in the game, their skill at playing the instruments...), there could be no roda, and no capoeira.
Similarly, without strong community support, this event would not have been possible. Our deepest gratitude to the bellingham storytellers' guild, the community food co-op, the WWU Dance and Anthopology departments, and of course the AS Activities Council for their support with the funding of the trip, especially the travel costs for CM Kamau and Treinel Eva; JiaJia Chang for the beautiful poster; everyone who offered up their home so that our guests could have a place to stay; Ivana for a delicious and unexpected pot of fried rice on Sunday; all of the teachers (and their teachers) who shared their gifts with us: Kamau and Eva, Keith Doran (doni doni drums), Antonio Diaz (Rumba Northwest), Dora Oliveira, Manimou Camara, and Mestre Silvinho.

Thank you also to all of the people who joined us to share the energy, from Vancouver BC, Corvallis (OR), and Seattle!

Afro-Brasilian Fesival - May 16th and 17th

Mark your Calendars!

The event is free for students, $5 per class per person for the general public!

Saturday May 16th:

10am: Capoeira Angola roda at at the Bellingham Farmers' Market

(all afternoon events in Carver Gym room 60/Dance Studio)
1pm: Capoeira Angola Class with CM Kamau and Treinel Eva from FICA- Philadelphia
3pm: West African Drumming class with Doni Doni Drums (BYODjembe) / Capoeira Angola Music Class with CM Kamau and Treinel Eva (BYOBerimbau)
4:15pm: Cuban Salsa class with Rumba Northwest
5:30pm: Capoeira Angola Roda

In the evening, we are tentatively scheduled to meet at Café Rumba on State Street for companionship, music and dancing!

Sunday May 17th:

(all events in Carver Gym D)

10am: Capoeira Angola class with CM Kamau and Treinel Eva
12:30pm: Samba class with Dora Oliveira
1:45pm: Capoeira Angola Music Class with CM Kamau and Treinel Eva
3pm: West African Dance Class with Manimou Camara
4:30pm: Capoeira Angola roda

Here is the facebook event page.

Many thanks to the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, the Community Food Co-op, the Bellingham Storytellers' Guild, and the WWU departments of dance and anthropology for their support!

On cultural appropriation.

I found the website Decolonizing Yoga, which makes for fascinating reading - of particular interest for me, of course, as the discussion of cultural appropriation relates to Capoeira Angola as currently practiced by people who are non-Brasilians and not Black.
The video below explores these issues in some depth.

Spring Quarter 2015

This quarter our regular practices will continue to be held in carver Gym room 60 (dance studio) but we will go from 6:30 to 8:30 (a half hour later).

If anyone shows up at 6pm, we can play berimbau in the first available classroom on the west side of Bond Hall.