Our open roda has been running for ten years and I have been at most of them. The dearth of open rodas in London was once a serious problem for the hungry capoeirista desperate for the next game, the next line of a song, the next opportunity to test their training. The desire to immerse yourself in capoeira was sometimes frustrated by the lack of cohesive, communicative scene with each group, more or less, existing as a self contained unit blithely or purposefully ignoring the existence of other fellow travellers on the capoeira journey.
But London has had its moments and there have been times where it seemed as if capoeira angola would pestle and nuzzle and enmesh itself into the fabric of London life. These moments have only been moments though as we fall back into our insular routines: training on these days, nights out here, an occasional roda there, answering the call of a thousand other distractions from London life. Capoeira would blossom and then seemingly die on the vine.
And then, last Sunday, I was reminded that we could come together as a wider capoeira community in London. It may have been an Urban Ritual roda, but other capoeiristas from many different lineages and schools of thought were there. Don’t just take my word for it, watch:Urban Ritual Roda: CM Jamaicano and Barracuda. We will continue with these outside rodas throughout the summer – a short and ephemeral time in London – as long as the weather is good and I look forward to seeing many different capoeiristas there. And I look forward to journeying out beyond the clearly demarcated spaces of my own group to taste the water at other people’s rodas. Axé.
CM Jamaicano (Sj) 