Voador Trailer

It's finally happening! About five years, i spoke with Nayla and Adam Bardach (film director) about the idea of filming all this amazing talent that surounds us and doing a different kind of capoeira dvd with all sorts of cool moves in great locations. The styling in this DVD is Urban meets Future with sets a really nice mood. The footage we got back then was amazing, we felt like there was something missing and shot some more things this past Zumbi event with some of the guests and it's coming together. We are giving you 50 mins of great moves, falls and games to enjoy. It's a fun DVD with great energy. Everyone on this DVD is very talented and works hard to at this art-form. I want to give a personal thank you to each and everyone of them for trusting in me and my vision and giving their all on the days of the shoot. Everyone was pretty beat up after the shoots but i hope they all like the final product. The DVD will be released in March 2010. This DVD will put your DVD players to work with the endless opportunities to stop, rewind and slow motion those crazy moves. We can't think of a better title than VOADOR since everyone was flying high on these shoots...Enjoy!

Grant Granted!

ACTA Welcomes 21 Mestre Artist-Apprentice Teams to its Apprenticeship Program. www.actaonline.org (Alliance for California Traditional Arts) Master artist Joselito "Amen" Santo (Culver City) will conduct an apprenticeship with Beto Gonzalez (Los Angeles) in Brazilian Candomblé atabaquedrumming. Mestre Amen was initiated into the Candomblé religion as a young boy in his native Brazil. In addition to his training in Candomblé percussion, Amen, a former member of Brazil’s historic Viva Bahia dance ensemble, is also extensively trained in capoeira and Afro-Brazilian folkloric dance. Beto has been studying Afro-Brazilian music for nearly two decades. The apprenticeship will focus on improving Beto’s technique, as well as building his knowledge of the vast repertoire of rhythms within the Candomblé tradition.

20 years of Capoeira Batuque

check out this video which is a recap of my 20 years of Capoeira Batuque in Los Angeles. You'll enjoy watching some old faces and get a kick out of seeing what we looked like. Through the years, there has been so many great moments, this clip shows a few of those moments I shared with great friends, students, family, and awesome community. Thanks Miguel Coleman for putting this great video together, it was a great gift!

http://www.youtube.com/user/BateBatuque?feature=mhum#p/a/f/0/1NKSyfmAbTM

Mestre's conections

Check out Mestre Val Boa Morte's page http://www.capoeirafdb.com/ for a nice recap on our trip to Argentina and history on the connection with all these Mestres. Salve!

ladies roughing it up

Here is a video of some ladies from Mestre Gytauna's Oriaxé group roughing it up during the 2010 Batizado.

DVD shoot

pictures taken during and after a video shoot for an upcoming DVD by Sound Of Bahia. I am so excited about this project, I can't wait to share it with everyone. It's going to have such amazing capoeira featuring such a talented range of capoeiristas. Coming Soon!!!

Playing with Mestre Val Boa Morte

Here we are playing at Mestre Gytauna's 2010 Batizado in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Being honored

Mestre being honored for their work outside Brazil at the Forte in Salvador, Bahia. We left our homes, families and city to share with the world the richness of our culture and traditions. Today many Mestres teach Capoeira, Samba, Afro-Brazilian Dance & Drumming and all the wonders of our beautiful culture throughout the world. It is nice to be honored by our own people for work. Leaving at such young ages alone to the unknown has it's difficulties. Today, I am so happy to be living in Los Angeles doing what I love.

Salve Capoeira

Trainig with Mark Dacascos

Training with Mark Dacascos in Santa Monica beach in 2009. Even though it's been a while since Only The Strong was released, Mark remains a great and loyal friend. Congratulations to him for all his growth and success over the years!

@ Mestre Boa Gente's school

Visiting Mestre Boa Gente's school in Vale Das Pedrinhas, Salvador, Bahia. He does great work within in community and traveling the world. It is an honor to know him...he is a living legend!

check out this link to find out a little about his work http://www.capoeiraaruanda.com/au/about/mestre-boa-gente

Salve Mestre Boa Gente

back in the day

This is a picture of us doing capoeira in Barra, Salvador, Bahia for a photo shoot for Viva Bahia over 25 years ago. Salve to everyone in this photo!

Mestre Amen In Buenos Aires

We have just finished celebrating Mestre Marcos Gytauna & Oriaxe's 2010 Batizado. Congratulations to all the graduated and thanks for a great event! Mestres also Present were Mestre Val Boa Morte, Metre Tonho Mateira & Mestre Orelha. Now that the festivities are over we are going to see a Tango show...long live passion!

Drums

Traditional drums used in Candomble exposed at Emilia Biancardi's Center/Museum inPelourinho, Salvador, Bahia. Emilia is a visionary who all Capoeiristas and artists from the Afro-Brazilian Folcloric world owes a lot. She opened many doors for many people including myself through her dance company Viva Bahia.

As explained in her Museum in Peourinho (you should all visit it when you are there):

Atabaques are characteristic drums of the religious manifestation of the Candomblé in Brazil, especially in Bahia. It is played with the hand or with a stick called agdavi.

There are three different sorts of traditional atabaques: The Rum, The Rumpi and the Lé respectively big, medium, and small atabatuqes. the Rum is the atabaque that has a bass register, the Rumpi has the medium register, and the Lé has the treble register.

Capoeiristas...do you note any resemblance?

Salve Mestra Emilia e obrigado por tudo!