Embarrassing as it is, I have to say that the main reason I know of the existence of capoeira is Eddy Gordo and his pretty granddaughter, Christie Monteiro. You may recognize them as fictional characters from the virtual fighting game, Tekken.Of course, very real people practice the art form that has its roots in 16th century Brazil. Some people regard it as a martial art and some think it a sort of dance. Others call it their religion.
Onelargeprawn reader and lazy gamer Nick de Bruyne sent in this video of local capoeiristas in Pretoria, South Africa as they go about performing some of the graceful, flowing actions in their Capoeria Mei Lua (Half-moon Capoeira) class. Check it out below.
What struck me most about the video is the wonderful musical accompaniment. The song is entitled Pedir o Axé, and as I’m told by Nick, the twangy sounds are created from a rudimentary instrument called a Berimbau. It looks a bow with a calabash tacked on, and you play it using and a stick and a stone (or coin).
[via Nick de Bruyne]