Prospects of Capoeira in the age of globalization

Capoeira is a manifestation of Brazilian culture that bears very peculiar features: it is a blend of fight, game and dance executed to the sound of musical instruments, claps and chanting. Aside from being an exceptional self-defence and fitness system, capoeira stands out among the sports range for being the sole one founded on Brazilian cultural traditions.
For all this, capoeira is gaining ever more ground in schools and universities in Brazil and worldwide.
There is great controversy with regard to the history of capoeira, particularly in reference to the period comprising its birth – likely in the seventeenth century – and the nineteenth century, when reliable records appear bearing descriptions in more detail of this cultural expression.

by Luiz Renato Vieira

lrvieira@senado.gov.br