Update on preparations for Brazil

1. Fundraising

We made the cut for the final of entertainment ke liye kuch bhi karega. Rs 10,000/- Yaaaay. Watch us here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Wmwbkzv-U
Unfortunately we didn't win. But then again that would mean we wouldnt have all this fun coming up with other ways of raising the money to go to Brazil. Oh yes, and congratulations to the group who did win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3LbCcm9CPk

We've raised almost another Rs 10,000/- through the blog http://dreamsofbrazil.blogspot.com/
Thank you Thank you Thank you to all those who contributed. Now lets crank up the heat (actually lets just summon the rain gods instead) and put some more of those good ideas and energies to use.


2. Portuguese class

We're starting an in house Portuguese class this Saturday (19th June) at my house 5:30. Will post more info and resources on facebook. Ta bom?

Dreams of Brazil

Dreams of Brazil has been created by the students of Capoeira India Group to fund two extremely talented Capoeiristas to visit Brazil, the country Capoeira originates from. Their trip is set to coincide with 'Capoeirando - 2010', one of the largest Capoeira events that takes place in Ilheus - Bahia, Brazil every year. Participation in this event and training with other renowned masters will take them to the next level in this martial art, moulding them as future instructors of Capoeira in India.

The 2 talented Capoeiristas


Macaco (Gaurav) is one of Baba's first students and has been training for more than 3 years. Macaco's journey in Capoeira is a great example of a student whose life Capoeira has changed. Growing up in Mira Road and following the predictable education path till high school, Capoeira has given him skill, confidence and experiences that he may not have had access to. 22 years old and supporting his family, Macaco dreams of being a Capoeira Instructor one day. Currently assisting Baba in classes, Macaco is an extremely dedicated Capoerista. Working on his game constantly to improve himself, attention to detail in terms of music and language, his humility, good nature and patience makes him a wonderful instructor today.

Sucuri (Sunil) started training under Baba at St. Catherines Home, a welfare society for destitute children in Bandra, Mumbai. Taking a liking to Capoeira right from day one, Sucuri has chosen to pursue this martial art in addition to his college education. Apart from being a committed student of Baba's, Sucuri already spends some time teaching Capoeira to the smaller children at St. Catherines. Age to his advantage, flexbility and agility has made Sucuri a really talented Capoeirista in just 2 years. Extremely positive in his approach and a fast learner, not to miss the mischief and showmanship that Capoeira requires, Sucuri has the potential to go the distance and also set an example to his friends at St. Catherines.

How will the money be used?

The money collected through this fund will cover the following expenses -
- Airfare
- Visa charges
- Local travel, boarding and lodging
- Expenses towards Capoeira event and Capoeira classes

How to contribute?

Send an email to dreamsofbrazil@gmail.com with these details -

Name:
Contact Number:
Amount you wish to contribute:
Email:
How did you hear about Dreams of Brazil?

Our representative will get in touch with you and arrange to collect the money. Little drops make an ocean..... Your contribution can help these boys go the distance!

Batizado time!

It's that time of the year again! The familiar feverish air, the flips, the kicks, the sequences, the swish of grass skirts and clickety clack of Maculele sticks. The axe. Everything is on the rise as CDO India gears up for its annual Batizado. Beginners excitedly await their very first (green) cordaos, as they are initiated or baptized into the Capoeira fold. Higher belts are preparing for Troca de Cordao (change of belts from green to yellow-green, and yellow-green to yellow). And the two cherries on the cake include Contra Mestre Cueca and Instrutor Revivo, who have come from Israel to help us with our event! The past couple of weeks with Instrutor Revivo have been absolutely amazing and with CM Cueca's arrival last night, we can only imagine the axe that is going to be created!

Capoeira Workshop at Zodiac 2008

23rd March, 2008 saw an electrifying demo and workshop by CDO India, at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology's annual festival Zodiac. Participants filled the front lawn and learned the basics of this intriguing martial art, cheered on by their excited friends. Some memorable moments are captured below.

Demo with Shiamak Davar's students

January saw a brilliant start-- with students from the Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts no less!

Here are a few pictures of the demo class we conducted at one their centres!

Cueca's Winter Meet 2008, Israel

2008 saw one of the best capoeira events ever, hosted by Contra Mestre Cueca, in Israel.

Capoeiristas from all over the world (including Russia, France, Brazil and India) congregated at the Cordao de Ouro centre in Israel for an extensive workshop in Capoeira and all the trimmings that come with it (music, dance, food, parties and other fun activities).

The CDO delegates from India included Baba, Gecko, Preta, Diamante, Langera and Zorro. A happy bunch, we were warmly welcomed by our hosts, who took turns in housing us and driving us around.

Below is a peek into one of the most memorable trips of the year.

Monsoon's up.. Sunday Roda is back!

The Sunday roda is back with a vengeance! Every Sunday at 5:30 pm, our group assembles at the Carter Road amphitheatre. We start an energetic game, which goes on till sundown (and sometimes past). So far, we've collected quite the crowd (we even drowned out street play performers a couple of weeks back, who were trying to promote their own festival with loud drums). Last Sunday, one of the students from the Children's batch joined us too! The roda ends with Baba briefing the keen and curious crowd about Capoeira ("An art developed 500 years ago by African slaves...") and where one can learn it in India. We unwind with some samba and then settle down near the amphitheatre singing songs till the stars come up.

A lovely way to open a window into the world of Capoeira for Mumbaikars. Cheers to Sunday rodas and to the capoeiristas who come and contribute their axe!

Capoeira India in Indian Express

Alive and Leapfrogging

Sukanya Shetty
Posted: Oct 20, 2008 at 0029 hrs IST

A Capoeira master is teaching his art to underprivileged kids at an orphanage.

Introduced three years ago in the city and with hundreds of students already enrolled, Brazilian dance and self-defence art form Capoeira is quite the rage in Mumbai. And now, Reza Messah, who mastered the art while running a restaurant in Israel, is set to teach the city’s underprivileged children how to leap and somersault to the Capoeira beats.

“We have recently started our workshops for the deprived section. Though not on a regular basis we have tried to reach out to street kids and slum dwellers. And the response, though, slow has been satisfying,” says Reza.

His group has also had some sessions with the orphans at St Catherine’s Home, Snatacruz. “Although not on a regular basis, we see students slowly developing an interest in Capoeira, it’s a voluntary interest that we want to be developed within the kids. More that promoting the art, we want the kids to come out and express themselves in whatever form.”

At St Catherine’s, eleven-year-old Asha says she has been practising Capoeira for several months now. “When we don’t have place, we make do with whatever space is available. My friends and I practice every week.” Asked what she likes best about Capoeira, the 11- year old promptly says: “It is the only form of self-defence that does not propagate violence.”

A lesser known martial art in India, Capoeira is often confused with dance but is actually the national sport of Brazil. “After learning it for over ten years, I decided to bring Capoeira to India. But even after three years here, Capoeira is still in its nascent stages here,” adds Reza.

Still, Reza already has a successor who aspires to be a Capoeira master. Sunil Singh (16) who doesn’t remember actively playing any game, now wants to master the art of Capoeira. “I have been learning Capoeira for seven months now. I am the oldest one from St Catherines who is leaning the art. I want to make Capoeira my source of income, by teaching it to others.”

“Some 500 years ago, Capoeira was primarily performed by the then slaves in Brazil to unwind after backbreaking work. It can still work as a great tension-releasing therapy for people in the 21st Century. And this is where the magic lies,” Sunil says.

Learning Capoeira means taking in a whole new culture, learning Portuguese songs and playing at least three musical instruments. Reza’s students play everyday, though it is just the preliminary move.

Capoeira has no age barrier. “My youngest student is a four-year-old, while the oldest is 47 years old. One has to just be young at heart,” quips Reza.

With every one nicknamed in the Capoeira community, Reza is Mechanic Baba, students too have affectionate nicknames. So, there Macao (monkey) to Bombom (candy) and Mel (honey) to Cereja (cherry) and Ninja and even Einstein, everybody leaps into the air for a bit of stress-relief.



Link to the article : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/alive-and-leapfrogging/375403/1

Trip to Panvel

A lovely early October weekend (11th to 12th) took our capoeira group to the verdant surroundings of Panvel, at Batata's fabulous villa. Early Saturday morn, 5 cars set out on a lazy, fun-filled journey to Talegonwadi (outskirts of Panvel on the old Bombay-Pune highway), via Dutta Snacks at Panvel where we ate super-hot but yummy vadapav, misalpav and poha. Trippers included Baba, Macaco, Filho, Chico, Sereia, Vespa, Mariposa, Sukuru, Batata, Zorro, Kamikazi, Diamante, Timido and Gecko (later joined by Cereja).

A sprawling lawn, patio, pool, terrace and spacious rooms spread over two floors, not to mention being surrounded by hills and greenery, we were in heaven (the name of the villa, Nisarg meaning nature, epitomised the sight before us) . After settling in (which meant exploring the nooks and crannies of the place, leaving no stone unturned--literally), we initiated the villa with a long and energetic music session. Capoeira had finally landed its feet here. Acrobatics in the lawn, two berimbaus, two atabaques, three to four panderos, an agogo and a few caxixis later, the hungry lot headed to a nearby restaurant and ate a hearty lunch of the usual meat-veggies-roti-beer(-and coke). The lunch was sumptuous enough for the party to feel quite drowsy afterwards, and as half of us indulged in an afternoon snooze, the other half immersed itself in practicing music till early evening.

A pleasant surprise was the rain. From a delicate drizzle to a mild downpour it was a beautiful evening-- not to mention perfect climate for some angola that a few of us played on the grounds. The elements, it would seem, were in our favour. And by late evening we had played a good game of angola, warmed up with Mariposa's delicious chai and were back up in the terrace post sundown, playing more music. The best part was that there was no electricity, which worked in our favour, because the music that we made sounded all the more surreal and otherworldly, with a backdrop of thunder and lightening. Our brilliant jamming session seemed to have appeased the rain gods, because rain started beating down in sync with the atabaques, once again. :)

Dinner time included everyone puttering about a dark house finding ingredients, chopping veggies for salad, preparing the BBQ grill and putting together a delicious meal. Baba barbequed chicken and fish, which we had along with hummus, salad and bread. And beer. The night took us back to the lawn, which was lit up. The jogo commenced once again, followed by some groovy samba. Back at the patio, it was time for forro-- the Star of the Dance floor award goes to Gecko. The night ended on a lovely note, as the tired capoeiristas lay on the roof under the stars.

The next day began with Baba waking everyone up by mooing. Yes, mooing. Morning to noon was spent jamming some more, learning new Capoeira songs, and singing Adeus, adeus to Sereia and Chico. The highlight was the pool. Although we never got to swim in it (what with it being only one foot deep), we all climbed in and formed a bateria. Swimming is definitely on the agenda, next time.

All in all, this was one of the many weekends to remember (awesome location, courtesy Batata). We already miss Sereia and Chico and hope they come back soon! Cheers to many more wild weekends!

Capoeira on Telegraph, Kolkata

Some more press coverage -

Dance to a different tune

Match your steps with the hot new dance moves that score high on both fitness and fun, says Aarti Dua

SHAKE A LEG

Feel like shaking things up a little? How about dancing the Krump? That’s a frenetic, freeform Los Angeles street dance for those of you out there who aren’t already doing it. Or why not take up Capoeira, a two-in-one Brazilian blend of martial arts, games and dance. Closer home, you could get into Bollywood aerobics. Or else, there’s always salsa. From teenagers to harried professionals and housewives, Indians are tapping out hot new dance steps as they seek to get fit and have some fun too. Says dancer Shiamak Davar: “From tap dancing to Capoeira, the fever has caught on. It’s great to see Indians embrace all forms of dance.” Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s take a look at some of these moves: Capoeira This suburban Mumbai school is far removed from South America but the Afro-Brazilian beat that the youngsters are playing on the atabaque (large drum), pandeiro (large tambourine) and berimbau (an ancient single-string instrument) and their Portuguese songs soon whisk you to Brazil and the world of Capoeira. This martial art — a synthesis of Brazilian dance and self-defence — was created by African slaves working on Brazilian plantations in the 16th century. They camouflaged self-defence moves as dance. In the last century, Capoeira was revived and caught on globally. Now people in Mumbai are discovering Capoeira because of Reza Massah, who mastered it while running a cafeteria in Israel. “I was fascinated by it,” he says. Three years ago, he decided to return home to spread Capoeira here. “I thought I’d take it to every gym. But most didn’t have the space,” he says. He started small with foreigners mainly. But gradually, Capoeira has grown in Mumbai and Massah now has around 50 students. One for instance is Gaurav Pawar, nicknamed Mackaco or monkey — all Capoeiristas get nicknames — who now assists Massah. “I was an introvert, Capoeira changed my life — I’ve explored new places and got to know new people,” he says. Or take television host Rossa, Saif Ali Khan’s ex-girlfriend, who’s been learning it since January. She says, “You’ve got to be strong — mentally and physically —- to do it.” Learning Capoeira means taking in a whole new culture, learning Portuguese songs and playing all three musical instruments as Massah’s students demonstrate. The singing is a preliminary though. After warm-up exercises, the students practise their Capoeira moves. First off there’s the cocorinha or basic swaying movement, then some roundhouse kicks and even headstands and handstands. “Capoeira is a sport, a culture and philosophy. Like in the Roda so in life — if you fall, you get up and put yourself back together,” says Massah. The Roda (pronounced ‘hoda’) or circle formed by the players is at the heart of Capoeira, who sing and play the instruments. Then, two players enter the circle and play a jogo or game, leaping, lunging and testing each other. The idea is to best, not hurt your opponent. New players enter the circle as others exit, and the pace picks up with the music. After three hours, Massah’s students are still revved up. “People come here stressed out. But once they start doing the Capoeira, they get energised,” he says. That’s the experience of Parikshit Sadh, who first saw a character in video game Tekken 3 do the acrobatic martial art. But he only realised it was Capoeira after seeing Massah’s class. “I was awestruck. These people were doing what I’d seen in the video game,” he recounts. Aparna Roy, too, is hooked and is quitting her brand manager job at Marico to travel to South America. Roy, also trained in karate and Bharatanatyam, says: “You get addicted. It’s a great combination of dance and martial arts.”