History of Capoeira in Amazonas highlights in book

Launch

The work was launched on Saturday (2) during a meeting of capoeiristas to draw up the Capoeira Safeguarding Plan in Amazonas

Manaus (AM) – A history of the presence of capoeira in Amazonas is available in the book “Capoeira, o Patrimônio Gingado do Amazonas e sua Safeguarda”, launched on Saturday (2), at the Salão Solimões (attached to the Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro), during a meeting of capoeiristas to develop the Capoeira Safeguard Plan in Amazonas.

The work authored by the executive secretary of Culture and Creative Economy, Luiz Carlos Bonates, and sociologist Tharcísio Santiago Cruz, represents a product of research spanning several years, in which the presence of capoeira in Amazonas since 1889, as well as the its relationship in this space of time with institutions and civil society.

The book divides the history of capoeira in Amazonas into two moments: capoeira das Maltas, which was capoeira without berimbau, whose presence was linked to trickery and, often, crime; and capoeira with berimbau, known as the Bahian model, which is spread throughout the world and is a world and cultural heritage of humanity.

For Luiz Carlos Bonates, master KK, co-author of the work, the book is a kind of dossier on the presence of capoeira in Amazonas and its main relevance is the historical recovery of two distinct moments of capoeira in the state.

“The book shows the presence of capoeira since the 19th century in Amazonas, recording two major historical cuts: one capoeira without berimbau, which would be capoeira das maltas, and the other, from 1972 onwards, capoeira with berimbau introduced in Amazonas with berimbau do Espírito Santo”, says master KK, adding that the work supports the Capoeira Safeguard program of the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan).

Capoeira Safeguard

The launch of the book took place at the end of the meeting that brought together masters, foremen and capoeiristas in general to prepare the Capoeira Safeguarding Plan in Amazonas and elect the members of the Capoeira Safeguarding Deliberative Collective in the state.

For the Superintendent of Iphan in Amazonas, Beatriz Calheiro de Abreu Evanovick, representative of the public authorities at the meeting, the objective of the actions is to advance mechanisms for preserving capoeira in the state of Amazonas and strengthening it as a Brazilian heritage.

“Today we have just approved the plan to safeguard capoeira in Amazonas, a collective effort between capoeira representatives and public sector organizations led by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute, which recognizes the craft of capoeira masters and the roda of capoeira as Brazilian cultural heritage”, said Beatriz.

According to the superintendent of Iphan in Amazonas, the meeting also had the relevance of electing a committee to deal with the safeguarding of capoeira in the state. “In addition to this effort to have a safeguard plan, a deliberative collective was elected that will seek to ensure that each action that is planned becomes effective over a period of four years,” she said.

*With information from consultancy

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