Pierre Verger

...French photographer who ended up living in Bahia for the last fifty years of his life, travelling intensively to Africa, exploring the relationship between candomblé in Bahia and voodoo in Bénin (basically it's the same thing).
He took some of the best capoeira photos in the forties showing how it was before it became organized by the different academies (Pastinha, Bimba etc)
Check out the Fundaçao Pierre Verger's webiste, it's full of hidden gems.

here is some of his photographic work put in video


Here is a great little film that he seemingly produced about carnival in the forties based on a series of photos that he took in Rio in 1941, Pernambuco 1947 and Bahia in 1948



it's in French, hit me up if you want more info ...:)

Mestre Ciro de Joao Pequeno de Pastinha

Another good surprise on Youtube, a great intimate video of Mestre Ciro, a former student of Mestre Joao Pequeno, himself a former student of Mestre Pastinah, singing one of his songs on the guitar.



Just a moment to relax...

MICHAEL JACKSON, OLODUM, CITY OF GOD

Michael Jackson has passed away and let us pay tribute to "one of us ": an amazing artist, admired from all over the world. In Brazil, a country that has its own very strong music industry, his fame hit in the eighties when everyone just went crazy about his dance moves.

He shot this video in Brazil in 1996 in the favella City of God (Cidade de Deus) and in the Pelourinho, the historical centre of Salvador Bahia, with the group Olodum. That's when when Katia Lund, who was the producer for the Rio shoot, first became acquainted with the favella, which then inspired her to produce the oscar winning film "City of God", one of the greatest Brazilian box office hits (that's right!!)

This is just an example of how strong his legacy will carry on in the world and how greatly he will be missed.



My own fave MJ moments... was after the capoeira class on Monday nights, we went to our usual pub on Brixton's high street with the locals (unfortunately now replaced by a posher pub) just in time to catch the results of the MJ trial broadcast live. When he was found non guilty, everyone broke into an applause and cheered.

Filhos de Angola - clip

As you are all getting prepared for the workshop with Mestre Roberval, seemed like a good opporunity to post this clip from a few years ago with Mestres Laercio, Rosalvo, Roberval and Jomaria (the woman).

The filming is outstanding, as is the capoeira of course.



Enjoy!

A Capoeiragem de um Mestre e seu Bando Anunciador

Lua Rasta's "A Capoeiragem de um Mestre e seu Bando Anunciador" just won a prize at the ethnographic film festival in Recife. Congratulations! Cultura Viva




To buy the DVD, get in touch with Pedreiro

For more info about the film go to the blog
http://atelierluarasta.blogspot.com/

NOLA calling

I went to NOLA. the city was amazing, so much music and dancing in the streets. I shot a whole video under the rain of people parading. It was a unique experience.

Here's a screenshot of a copy of a document by Jean Baptiste Tardieu from 1798, I found at the Louisiana State Museum. You'll recognize an instrument looking like the berimbau. No great surprise as it was wide spread instrument throughout the American continent wherever slaves were living. Only thanks to the practice of capoeira in Bahia has its use been maintained well into the 21st century. In other parts of the world such as Cuba or the US, it's disapeared.

O Samba vem da Bahia

For more explanations, ask Pedreiro

Photo on the Internet

It's crazy what one can find on the Internet. As I was browsing I once noticed this photo in an article related to capoeira in the streets (tried finding it again without success). It must have been taken nearly fifteen years ago.




It's a photo of Pedreiro, who'd just gotten back from the beach and was having a game of capoeira by the Elevador Lacerda in Salvador. He's looking slightly skinnier than today :) and is playing with Mestre Dois de Ouro, a great capoeira, who unfortunately is no longer with us.

Youtube channel

Here's a video of Pedreiro & Axé in 2003




To check the other videos out, go to our Youtube channel