By Matthias Röhrig Assunção.
The memory of capoeira is ever-present in its practice: It lies in the fundamentals, in the songs and in the very magic of the capoeirista’s body – the ‘weapon-archive’, as Júlio Tavares so aptly put it. But memory also has its physical or geographic spaces. Capoeira is played in the roda (circle), and the roda takes place in a location considered suitable. The early capoeira practitioners used to train on the beaches and on the hills in the city; later, they trained in the back gardens of their teachers and masters. Today, students train in gyms or in improvised spaces on the street.
Visit the places where capoeira developed
and made history in Rio de Janeiro
The Contemporary Capoeira Project in Rio de Janeiro aims to map the spaces that were significant to the history of capoeira in the city and its suburbs and outskirts. We believe that many sites of memory associated with capoeira in Rio de Janeiro are ignored, disrespected, and even destroyed. “Memory sites”—as defined by historian Pierre Nora, who coined the concept some time ago—become necessary when “environments of memory” no longer exist. In other words, when the space of the past has transformed to the point where it is difficult to envision that past from the same space in the present. Sites of memory can thus be spaces “where memory crystallizes.”
Official sites of memory dominate the urban landscape: They praise the general who won battles in defence of the rule of law or the current regime, but rarely mention how many soldiers were sacrificed for that cause; they honor politicians who, according to the official narrative, distinguished themselves in administration and inaugurated public works; They also pay homage to protectors by spreading their arms to shield the city, particularly in times of crisis and epidemics. Thus, it is common for official sites of memory to be imbued with nostalgia. Nostalgia for eras—supposedly more glorious than the present day—and for leaders portrayed as flawless heroes in their monumental sculptures.
As might be expected, capoeira is not represented in official sites of memory, despite having frequented those very places—such as churches and their surrounding squares—which gave the maltas their territorial identity during the Empire. It was also present in the old prisons, where capoeiristas were imprisoned for practising capoeira, such as the Aljube, Ilha das Cobras and the Casa de Correção in Rio de Janeiro, which are now closed or no longer exist.
We believe it is important to document and reflect upon these alternative sites of memory associated with capoeira. They have the potential to become counter-hegemonic sites of memory. Not necessarily places considered beautiful “by nature” or spectacular for their imposing architecture, but places where capoeira took place in some way—in one of its many manifestations. Places where the energy of capoeira was present.
Some examples of this historical geography of sites of memory—and their link to specific phases of capoeira history—recalling the maltas of the 19th century:
Another important site associated with capoeira is the Arco do Teles, in the square now known as Quinze de Novembro, or simply Praça XV, which served as a place of refuge for enslaved people and may well be where Rio de Janeiro-style capoeira originated.
From the era of the malandragem (the era of street-smart mischief) in the first half of the 20th century, we can highlight—in addition to the frequently cited Lapa—Praça Onze and the Tabuleiro da Baiana at Largo da Carioca, where batuqueiros (groups of drummers) would gather to enjoy the pernada carioca (a traditional Rio street-fighting move).
From the period when Rio’s capoeira scene rose from the ashes with the arrival of capoeiristas from Bahia, the rodas at Central, Penha, and Quinta da Boa Vista stand out. Finally, the Circo Voador—initially established in Arpoador and later relocated to Lapa—left its mark on the history of capoeira thanks to the major national gathering held there in 1984.
CapoeiraHistory aims to document these places in Rio de Janeiro and, to this end, engages with capoeiristas and researchers from Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere. If you have a project relating to a place of capoeira heritage, please get in touch by emailing capoeirahistory arroba gmail.com.
To learn more:
Soares, Carlos Eugênio Líbano. A capoeira escrava e outras tradições rebeldes no Rio de Janeiro, 1808-1850. Campinas, SP, Ed. da UNICAMP, 2001.
Nora, Pierre: “Entre memória e história: a problemática dos lugares”, tradução de Yara Aun Khoury. História e Cultura, v. 10 (jul-dez 1993), 7-28. https://revistas.pucsp.br/index.php/revph/issue/view/851