Capoeira: The History of an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art

186 CONTEMPORARY CAPOEIRA
(Verses sung in capoeira cantos de entrada)
Artur Emídio was probably the first capoeirista ever to perform abroad, during the 1950s and early 1960s.
He visited in Argentina, Mexico, the United States, and Europe. He thus demonstrated capoeira not only to
the Brazilian presidents Vargas and Kubitchek, but also to Eisenhower and Kennedy. 103 Subsequently many
Brazilian companies toured Europe, the United States and other countries, performing capoeira alongside
other Brazilian rhythms and dances. Important for the diffusion of capoeira in Europe during the 1970s was
Brasil Tropical, a company headed by the dancer and choreographer Domingos Campos and M. Camisa
Roxa. Camisa Roxa, a student of M.Bimba, was at the time considered to be one of the best Regional
players of Brazil. 104 Although these companies were primarily interested in attracting audiences for their
shows and not to teach capoeira abroad, they ended up making an important contribution to that end. Many
capoeira professionals made their first trip to a foreign country as part of a Brazilian folklore group, and at
some moment in their journey, or afterwards, decided to teach in a city that appealed to them.
M.Boca Rica
Capoeira
Distinguished capoeira master
Capoeira
He gave a workshop in Los Angeles
Capoeira
Even the gringa wept 105
Capoeira in the United States
In the United States, the introduction of capoeira is attributed to Jelon Vieira and Loremil Machado. They
performed capoeira in a Broadway play about Brazilian Indians, The Leaf People, in 1975. 106 Subsequently
both participated in a range of other productions, such as The Capoeiras of Bahia (1979). Jelon Vieira was a
student of M.Nito and Ezequiel in Bahia, later affiliated with Senzala from Rio and also became a member
of Emília Biancardi’s Viva Bahia. In 1977 he founded the company Dance Brazil that allowed him to tour
throughout the United States and many other countries. At the same time he started teaching capoeira in
New York and to hold workshops in other cities of the East Coast. 107 Many people believe his performances
inspired the break dance craze of the 1980s. Jelon himself rather modestly points towards the common
African origins of both capoeira and the South Bronx breakdancing. 108 Jelon’s outstanding contribution was
recognized in 1990, when he was included in the list of the 20 most important martial artists of the ‘Hall of
Fame International’, alongside Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jear-Claude Van Damme.
Bira Almeida, another student of M.Bimba, settled on the West Coast of the United States. M.Acordeon—
as be is known among capoeiristas—started teaching upper-middle class students at Stanford University in
1979. He soon extended his teachings to poorer neighbourhoods and the Latin community of San Francisco
and finally opened his own school Capoeira-Bahia. As early as 1983 he took 52 students on a capoeira study
trip to Brazil, where a tournament was held at the USP. 109 M.Acordeon also founded a World Capoeira
Association and published one of the first books about capoeira in English (1981). M. Acordeon and Jelon
Vieira have played a pivotal role in the expansion of capoeira in the United States, teaching a first
generation of United States students.
In the early 1980s there were only four capoeira schools in the United States. M.Jelon and Loremil taught
in New York, M.Acordeon in San Francisco and Eusebio da Silva Lobo in East St Louis (Illinois). 110 Yet in
subsequent years capoeira practice virtually exploded, to the point that today the art is taught in every single