Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau also suggested that capoeira could have got its name from the kikongo word ‘kipura’, that describes the movement of a rooster while fighting. The dancing style is also similar to a fight between two roosters. Some experts suggested that the word ‘capoeira’ was derived from the word ‘capao’, which is a Portuguese word for castrated rooster. Some historians are of the opinion that it directly evolved from the African fighting style while others think that it is a Brazilian dance having both Brazilian and African influences. However, there are lots of controversies regarding the origin of this dance. It was also created in Brazil by African slaves, mainly from Angola. The Jongo is still widely practiced today in various cities: The Vale do Paraíba in the Southeast region of Brazil, to the South of the state of Rio de Janeiro and to the North of São Paulo.Ĭapoeira is another important Afro-Brazilian dance, and believed to have evolved from martial arts. These fraternities had an important role in the resistance of slavery, as a means of communication, organization and even the purchase of liberated slaves. The Jongo is made up of singing and dancing, with the accompaniment of the urucungo (a musical Bantu arc, that gave way to the berimbau), the violin and pandeiro, in addition to the consecrated drums, used even today, called Tambu or Caxambu. The basis is a respect and obedience towards the older individuals and the ancestral past. Historical research indicates that the Jongo possesses, within its Bantu origins, the need to create diverse communities, similar to secret societies and political-religious sects. This factor relates itself to the ethical and social norms commonly found in other traditional societies, such as the Amerindians. These days, both men and women can participate in the Jongo, but this participation in its original form was very restricted to the initiated or the more experienced members. Among the more evident ones, one can cite the fire, with which the instruments are tuned the drums, that are considered to be ancestors of the community’ the circular form of the dance with a couple in the middle, which refers to fertility and not to forget, the rich metaphors used by the jongueiros (participants of the Jongo) in order to compose its main points and whose meaning is inaccessible to those not yet initiated. One essential characteristic of the Jongo is the utilization of symbols that, aside from maintaining rhythm, possess a magical function, apparently provoking paranormal phenomenon. Generally, these Bantus were kidnapped in the ancient kingdoms of Ndongo and Kongo, which nowadays makes up most of the region of Angola. Composed through characteristics of music and dance and animated by improvisational poets, the Jongo most likely has its origins in the traditional Angolan guessing games, the Jinongonongo. The formation of samba carioca was heavily influenced by Jongo. Inserting itself within the so-called ‘dances of the belly strike’ (however being related to the ‘Semba’ or ‘Masemba’ of Angola), the Jongo was brought to Brazil by Bantus. Jongo is an essentially rural cultural manifestation directly associated with the African culture in Brazil. Eventually, they tried to preserve the secret rhythms of samba by combining them with other musical forma, which over a period of time gave birth to a series of dances and music genres. But, soon, they came under the suspicion of the authority, as a result of which, the police often raided such parties. They continued to carry out religious practices in the guise of parties. When the African slaves reached Brazil, they were converted into Christians, and prevented from worshiping their traditional gods by the Portuguese government. So, the dance was an indispensable part of the religious ceremonies.īrazil was a colony of the Portuguese during the period 1500 to 1822, and the Portuguese rulers, mainly brought African slaves, to Brazil from Angola. ‘Semba’ is also an infinitive of ‘kusamba’, which means ‘to pray’, or to appeal for the favor of the Gods or ancestors by singing and dancing. Some believe that samba was derived from the word ‘semba’, which signifies a navel bump in Kimbundo, the African Bantu language, and symbolizes the invitation to dance from a man to a woman. Samba is what immediately comes to mind at the very mention of Brazilian dance. Here is an account of the origin and evolution of these dances. Samba, Carimbo, Capoeira, Forro, Coco, Cacuria, Jongo,Lundu and other dances are some of the famous dances of Brazil. Brazil is a land of many popular dances that contain the elements of African, Portuguese and European dance forms. Dance is a form of non-verbal communication for expressing human experiences, which in the course of time has developed into a form of art.
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