Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form: History, Philosophy, and Practice

By Bira Almeida

Book Overview

Capoeira weaves fighting, music, dance, prayer, and ritual into an urgent strategy by which people live, struggle, celebrate, and survive together. In this book Bira Almeida--or Mestre Acordeon as he is respectfully called in capoeira circles--documents his own tradition with both the panoramic eye of the historian and the passionate heart of the capoeirista. He transports the reader from the damn of New World history in Brazil to the streets of twentieth-century Bahia (the spiritual home of capoeira) to the giant urban centers of North America (wher capoeira is now spreading in new lineages from the old masters). This book is valuable for anyone interested in ethnocultural traditions, martial arts, and music, as well as for those who want to listen to the words of an actual mestre dedicated to preserving his Afro-Brazilian legacy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0071Z8I1A
• ISBN13: 9780938190295
• Release Date: February 1993
• Publisher: Blue Snake Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book. Very Informative.

The book Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form was not only well-written but was interesting as well. This book educates you about the history of capoeira, capoeira practitioners, and even a short summary of how Mestre Acordeon was introduced to the art of capoeira. I would highly reccomend this book to capoeiristas, as it was very helpful to me. Axé.

A Passionate martial artists review

A Great book about the history and and philosophy of Capoeira. When I saw that Bira was the Author I had to get it (He was my Mestre, Mestre Acordeon). If you want a book with lots of pictures of moves and stuff, look elsewhere. If you want to know more then just the physical movements I strongly recommend this book.

An excellent and moving exploration of capoeira

It's a good thing that among the few books in english about capoeira that we have this book! If you're looking to learn capoeira techniques or tricks, this is not the book for you. If you want to learn the history, philosophy and cultural background of this amazing art look no further. Part history book, part dreamlike and ludic personal travel log on the journey down the path of capoeira, this book does the near impossible and captures the beauty, playfulness and wisdom of capoeira and puts in on the written page. If you're even slightly interested in the art of capoeira, buy this book...

The classic Capoeira book for english readers

This is a great book for anyone interested in Capoeira. The author is one of the first Capoeira masters to bring the art to the United States, and he presents a complete look at the history, foundations, philosophy, culture, and feel of Capoeira. The only shortcoming I have found is that specific techniques are not presented in-depth, but if you are interested in learning Capoeira you probably will want to study with a teacher anyway! It makes a great companion to classes, or it is great reading just by itself.

A fine handbook on this Brazilian martial art/dance.

An excellent choice for anyone interested in capoeira. Written by a "mestre" and teacher, it covers all the basics: the history of the art, its African origins, its underlying philosophy, and its various steps and techniques. Drawings and pictures show a variety of movement and positions, from kicks and handstands to cartwheels and spins. Plus, it includes the lyrios to several popular capoeira songs. A truly concise and informative volume, especially for those first learning about this exciting style.