From henceforth you shall be known as...Capitão

So it's official: JB is a capoerista - codename Capitão. Which, bizarrely, is short for the longer Capitão Hook, the name Contra-Mestre Caxias (my master) bestowed upon me on account of my bandana. This must be a Brazilian thing, since the other regular bandana wearer in the group is a woman given the name Pirata.

New York City's 2006 Capoeria Brasil Batizado (pronounced ba-chi-za-dou) took place at the 63rd Street YMCA on Saturday. There were a few dozen capoeristas in attendance including black cords (rope belt) from Rio and Bahia, and all-colour cords from groups around the five boroughs. There were also at least a couple of hundred spectators. Caramba.

The ceremony kicked off with berimbao-led music followed by the high cords playing in the roda, the circle made up of other players who sing and clap along with the music. (On a sidenote, I like that it's called 'playing' rather than 'fighting'.) Then there was a Bahian dancer. Then it was the turn of the new kids to be inducted, and I was called up first. There was some banter about my name in Portuguese, I got Capitão Hook, and then it was cartwheels into the ring with Mestre Balao. We played for about a minute, before he took me down with a totally sweet scissor-flip-type move.



The pics are from a wee movie that Nyx made (thanks for representin', you raposa). The longer flickr set from the roda is here.