Durão which is pronounced (doo-RAH-ow) is my apelido for Capoeira. It means tough but the reason why I received this nickname is because I’m stiff and not flexible at all. I can’t even sit cross legged and stretching my legs is well, real tough for me.
To give a little background about apelidos, these are nicknames given to Capoeiristas which are people who practices capoeira an Afro-Brazilian martial art combining elements of dance, acrobatics, and of course music!
Please belive as I continue to write I’ll bring up Capoeira quite a bit. You see it changed my life back 2020 during the pandemic. I was taking a walk just to keep my sanity since it seemed like life was on halt at that time. I happened to see my neighbour outside with a few people doing kicks and I heard this funky world music and rhythms which reeled me in like a tractor beam. I didn’t even know what it was called, I just remember thinking it reminded me of the fighting game character Eddy on Tekken.
I said, hey “whatever that is can you teach me?”
And sure enough the Martial art that Eddy practiced on Tekken was Capoeira. Now back to the story… I said, hey “whatever that is can you teach me?”. He said “sure”, and started immediately telling me the history of Capoeira and how African slaves in Brazil, trained with each other to escape but they didn’t beat up on each other it was more of a sparring practice. This martial art helped them to stay in shape and they learned to stay low to evade and escape. That’s really the beginning of a true friendship I now have with my then neighbour who’s now my teacher and his apelido or nickname is Buscapé which means Rocket. Check him out at the Afrobraz Project.
batizado 2020
Capoeira helped them to learn to stay low, evade and escape.
What were they trying to escape? Trying to escape slavery.
Sometimes I feel like Buscapé showed me to evade and escape the enslavement of the mind. The mind teaching the body, self control, discipline fun and freedom expression is all found in Capoeira. It is not choreographed, it’s improvisation with the body. There are so many parallels I see with Jazz music. Playing together is key, listening watching, dialog and transforming energy talking to each other non-verbally.
Since then I’ve been training with him and learning so much about Afro history from Brazil and Africa and worldwide. I’ve met so many wonderful and beautiful people right here in Montreal that are from all over the world. Opening my eyes as an American to a vast amount of culture from music to art and oh my…the food! Also opening my ears to new sounds new rhythms which are further developing my musicianship and artistry. 5 years later today, I’m still pretty stiff and not really flexible, but my heart and mind sure is.
Until next time, peace.
One response to “Durão is what they call me”
Good. Keep it up. Invite continue to invite the reader into the experience or thought as you write.