ABSTRACT

In most European and US cities one can see young people from different ethnic backgrounds and genders carrying around a musical bow, or berimbau. Twenty years ago this would have inevitably raised questions over the purpose of that strange device, but today many people recognize it as the basic musical instrument of capoeira. The use of an entire percussion orchestra shows that capoeira involves much more than mere physical exercise. Practitioners-typically between 16 and 35 years old-not only execute awkward movements to the rhythm of the orchestra, but also need to play these instruments, and to sing in Portuguese. Yet capoeira is much more than music and dance: it is a holistic art that develops creativity and theatricality and offers its own path towards spirituality. Since adepts need to train hard in a wide range of bodily techniques and intellectual skills, it also constitutes a martial art and, according to some, a spiritual discipline.