Into the Roda

Silence. A beautiful moment in the dead of night. A precious rarity amidst the valley of constant sonic reverberation in which I presently reside. I have taken a gamble. The rhythmic ‘click-clacking’ of my ceiling fan stirred me from my slumber at an unknown hour of darkness. My unguided hand fumbled for the power source and with a deft flick, extracted the last breaths of air from my room. This action was a finely balanced decision, with no fan bringing me less aural irritation, but more imposing heat. The additional dimension of mosquitoes attacking my skin, now exposed due to the increased warmth, weighed heavy on my mind, but for a beautifully calm instant I am engrossed in the silence. The first and only period of such calm that I can remember since my arrival. And then…

“Ê galou canto;
Ê coco roco”

The silence is broken. Somewhere in the valley outside the strangled cry of an enthusiastic cockerel cascades into my consciousness. The calm is no more, but no matter how misguided this avian muezzin’s timekeeping, his unmistakeable announcement signals the start of a new day and a new roda for everyone in earshot.

Now you are doubtless a little confused by certain aspects of my prosaic wanderings, so allow me to explain. The cockerel’s interruption in the early hours of this morning set my mind to thinking about capoeira and the roda (game) that is at its heart. The Portuguese reference I dropped in earlier translates to “Yay, the cock crows; yay, coco roco” (which is cock-a-doodle-do in Portuguese) and is from a very commonly sung capoeira verse. Its fits into the very rich metaphorical world that surrounds the roda of capoeira (the truest form of capoeira, where the game is played in a circle of people accompanied by music and singing). At the start of each roda songs are sung to set the tone for the games to follow and to raise the level of energy within the circle (it is commonly felt that the energy from the music drives the energy of the players in their game). The songs are highly metaphorical and reflect the deep philosophy that surrounds capoeira. The lyrics that you hear and sing at the beginning cast the roda as a metaphor for life and the world. Life is a game played within the circle of the earth. The game of capoeira represents the individual’s experiences in life – to succeed one must be aware, nimble, shrewd and humble. The earth, as does the roda, turns constantly bringing with it new challenges and environments that must be faced by the players. The cockerel crowing symbolises the fact that each day is a new challenge – a new game in our lives on this earth.

I guess this sounds a little deep and possibly contrived, but it’s an aspect of capoeira that I’ve understood more since I’ve been here. I was already aware of the basic philosophy that I refer to above, but I never gave it much attention. Like many people who discover and learn capoeira outside Brasil, it does not take on such profound meaning. For us it is a hobby, something fun to do and a way of keeping fit. However, having now been to two rodas since arriving in Rio, I am beginning to understand capoeira on a different level. For many people here capoeira is a way of life. There are literally thousands (possibly even millions) of Brazilians involved with capoeira and it has existed here in one form or another for hundreds of years. Compare this to a country like the UK, where capoeira has really only been around since the 70’s and, despite a recent surge in popularity, remains an underground movement. There are very few mestres (masters) of the art residing in the UK to help capoeira grow beyond the underground. A major reason for this fact, I now believe, is that they all want to be in Brasil, where the capoeira is real. There may be good money to be made from travelling the world giving capoeira workshops and performances, but the yearning for the cradle of capoeira must always be there for Brazilians, tempting them home to the roda. Where once a week a whole community comes together, young and old, men and women, to indulge their passion, to express themselves through music and movement and to have a good time. It is inspiring for me (a wide-eyed young student of capoeira) to watch men in their 50's throw themselves around the roda as though they’re in the prime of their health, with the guile and trickery that reveals the true depth of their experience, taking on all comers regardless of age, gender, colour, nationality, and completing each game with a warm embrace that unmistakeably encapsulates respect, humility and grace.

Its something that I’m definitely proud to be part of right now and something that I hope will help me on my own journey through the game of life.