Monday, December 28, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
O.K., ONE MORE SPECIAL CHRISTMAS VIDEO...
Wassup Family!!!
It's a full moon tonight...
and since this new episode of Spirit Science is about the moon, I thought I'd post it here.
Enjoy!
Published on Dec 25, 2015
Where did the Moon come from? Why are all of the craters the same depth? How come there is no other moon with a similar ratio to the planet size in our entire solar system?
On this very special Christmas Full Moon, Patchman and the Atlantis King reunite once more in Sedona, Arizona, to gather in union and discuss the universe together.
Thanks for Watching, and Merry Christmas!
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Education
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4 SPECIAL CHRISTMAS VIDEOS
Wassup Family!!!
since it's Christmas, I thought I'd post some special videos I like to watch around this time.
The first video is a song called "Breath of Heaven", by Amy Grant. It's my favorite Christian song.
Now the scenes in this video is from a movie named, "The Nativity Story", a movie about the birth of Jesus Christ. The 2nd video is a 15-minute condensed version of this movie, which tells this story.
If you want to watch the whole movie, then click HERE.
Now in the story of Jesus's birth, Jesus, Mary and Joseph get talked about a LOT, but not much is spoken about the 3 wisemen in the story. Who are they? Where did they come from? Were there even 3 of them?
The dicumentary below is an attempt to answer that question.
And, for the last video, who can ever forget the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life?" I try to watch it every year around this time.
I really love the ending. No matter how many times I watch it, it always makes me cry.
Of course, if you want to watch the whole movie, hen just click HERE.
O.K., once again, enjoy your Christmas!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, 2015!!!
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!!!
CHRISTMAS IS FINALLY HERE!!! But what is Christmas? What are it's traditions? Well, I posted this documentary below which gives a pretty good answer to this question.
However, if you're a bookworm like me, you might want to click HERE.
At Christmas play and make good cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year - Thomas Tusser
For me, christmas is one of the few times of the year when My whole family gets together to eat, exchange presents, and tell christmas stories. And that is what I'm gonna do today at my sister's house.
HOLIDAY SONG
This year Hanukkah, Christmas and the Mawlid all occur around the same time so I wrote this song in commemoration of these happy occasions. Given some of the tension and tragic events around the world this past year, I felt perhaps the meeting of all these wonderful occasions was The Divine's way of reminding us all that the fathers of our faiths loved one another. And beyond that we are united by the most lofty primordial connection...the sublime soul. Those who hate and harm others, do so in the name of their own corrupted hearts and those who love...their love will live on. The approximate meaning of the Arabic section is, "Oh Most Merciful One, send prayers, peace and blessing on traveling light in the cosmos". Although I don't know the exact origin of the litany, it is often repeated by North and West Africans. I often recite it when I am confronted with some struggle in my own life.
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.
To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
- Calvin Coolidge
May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
- Ada V. Hendricks
Have a very merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
2 DAYS UNTIL THE BIG DAY!!!
So, we all know that In Palestine, (And ever since 336 AD by order of Pope Julius I in Rome), this is also the birthday of Jesus/Yeshua Christ (0 or 4 BC).
Well Christmas, as the video below will show you (Among other things), in the ancient African Kemetic tradition, Christmas is Heru's (The KRST) Day (10,000 BC). In the ancient Indian tradition, it is the birthday of Krishna (4,000 BC). In the ancient Mexican tradition, it is the birthday of Quetzalcoatl (800 BC). In Ancient Turkey (Phrygia) it is the birthday of Attis (1170 BC). In Old Syria and Babylonia, it is the birthday of Tammuz (Adonis, 1160 BC). In ancient Chaldea, it is the day of Criti (1200 BC). To the ancient Celts and Neo Wiccans, it is the day of Hesus (834 BC). In Old Persia, today marks the birth of Mithra (600 BC). In Northern Germany, among the Nordic and Scandinavian People, today is the birthday of Odin/Wodin (800 BC). In Alexandria, it is the Birthday of Serapis Cristus (323 BC).
So Happy Birthday or Saviors day to all who are aligned with any of these spiritual, cultural or faith traditions.
Now In that spirit, let's listen to today's Song, O HOLY NIGHT.
And also, check out this real-life Christmas story...
Vancouver man pays it forward to single mom living in shelter
YOU CAN DONATE BY CLICKING HERE
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Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
COUNTDOWN!!!
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HI Family, In 4 days, It will be Christmas! Let's Start this week with the Nativity story, the story of the first Christmas.
This is my favorite nativity song... "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant.
“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.” ― Sigrid Undset
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
CAPOEIRA ON MY MIND Part 2: A response to Jason Lee Byrd
Hello family,
First of all, HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING!!!
Regardless of what this day means for you, we all must learn and practice giving thanks and love to those who are in our lives.
Have a beautiful day, every single day.
Now you guys must be wondering, "Who is Jason Lee Byrd?"
Jason Lee Byrd is a very skillfull, and dedicated Capoeira Angola teacher I admire very much, who teaches at a school called Pastinha's Garden of Capoeira Angola (PGAC for short). He's the tall guy in the dreadlocks:
A couple of months ago. he asked a simple question on a FB discussion group called CAPOEIRA TALK - jOGO dE bOCA. And, that question was this:
WHAT IS CAPOEIRA?
This blog is my attempt to answer that question.
Now I've said before that Capoeira,Is an ancient tradition brought to brazil by african slaves, but it's not a relic of the past. In fact, it's forever new.
It's a dance, but it's much more than that.
It's a deadly martial art, but it's much more than that.
It's singing and playing music, but it's much more than that.
It's a philosophy, but it's much more than that
It's Art, but it's much more than that.
In fact it's all those things, and much more.
There are many styles, or ways that Capoeira is played.
You have Capoeira Angola, the old traditional style, first popularized by Vincente Ferreira Pastinha, aka MESTRE PASTINHA...
You have Capoeira Regional, created by Manoel Dos Reis Machado, aka MESTRE BIMBA...
You have Contemporary Capoeira, the modern style, which blends both Capoeira Angola and Regional...
Those are the 3 main styles practiced by many groups all around the world today, in many different expressions.
And in addition to those styles, we have other, more modern expressions of capoeira...
Now there are those who like to argue about what style is "real or not real" capoeira, but personally, I see capoeira as a way of life, and in life, there are always going to be different opinions as to what is better, and what people prefer over another. If the different styles and ways of playing capoeira didn't exist, then capoeira wouldn't be alive.
It would be dead.
However, I truly believe that if you stay with Capoeira, and go deep into the art, you will be provided with a way of life where you can truly develop yourself physically, mentally, and even spiritually...
And with capoeira, you will be able not only to just survive, but THRIVE through life, and to accept your death when it is time.
I also said before that even though certain aspects of capoeira are emphasied more than others at certain moments, depending on when we need them, it still has all those elements in it together.
And this was really brought Home to me a couple of weeks ago.
On Saturday, November 21, my Capoeira Angola teacher was one of the lead characters in a play at the Magicropolis in Santa Monica:
Yes, that's my teacher, CHARLES WILLIAMS.
The play was called, "A NIGHT IN PALMARES", and it was about the Quilombo Dos Palmares. But first, a little history.
starting in the early 1500's, over 4 million Africans were captured and brought to brazil during the ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE.Below is a short documentary of what their lives were like:
Now those brave souls who refused to be slaves, ran away from their owners in the sugar mills and mines into the hinterlands. Some who ran away banded together, and formed free communities called QUILOMBOS.
Now around 1605, a free republic was formed made up of runaway slaves, army deserters, and Native Americans in the Northeast of brazil, in what is now the state of Pernambuco.
The republic was called, PALMARES.
Below, is a movie about this quilombo made in 1984...
Now as you can see in this film, in 1694, Palmares was suppressed, and the last King, ZUMBI, was killed.
But don't think that there are no quilombos left. They're still out there in brazil!
Uploaded on Sep 30, 2007
Trailer for documentary film "Quilombo Country," by Leonard Abrams. Film narrated by Chuck D (of famed hip-hop group Public Enemy). Available for purchase at http://www.quilombofilm.com
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Travel & Events
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Standard YouTube License
Anyway, the play was AMAZING, and in it, I saw Capoeira's theatrical, musical, and yes, sometimes comedic aspects. What I mean was, there were acrobatics, and of course being a play, none of the kicks thrown were meant to hurt anyone. But this is also an aspect of Capoeira, I think. to show it's beauty.
like a RED RED ROSE.
But a red rose, as beautiful as it is, has a lot of BIG ASS THORNS! And I saw that aspect at he Capoeira Roda at the BRASIL BRASIL CULTURAL CENTER that was held after the play. The beauty was still there, and all the love and camaraderie that you'll find in true Capoeira. But the kicks thrown were for real, there was aggression, and there were players there who played HARD, and tested themselves and their fellow players.
And this is all part of Capoeira, too.
Now this roda, and the play for it, was hosted by Grupo Capoeira Batuque, headed by Mestre Amen Santo. Many Years Ago, He, along with Nilson Reis made a video series with Panther Productions, which was my first real exposure to capoeira...
And a few years later, there was the movie ONLY THE STRONG, which Mestre Amen choreographed, and starred in with Mark Dacascos, who was also at the magicropolis watching the play...
You know, for many years, I wanted to meet Mestre Amen, and tell him what a HUGE inspiration he was to me to actually find my way to this art of Capoeira. And when the oppurtunity came... I PUNKED OUT LIKE A LITTLE BITCH!!!
Oh Well, another time will come. Maybe I'll have the balls to go and talk to him then.
There were other capoeiristas I knew there, like my friend and brotherJelani Ticum Lateef, Contramestre Versatil, & Saracuru.
Around 2 times a year, Saracuru, along with another phenominal capoeirista named Muito Tempo, who was also at the roda, hosts this amazing event called THE CAPOEIRA EXCHANGE. It's an event to share and exchange capoeira for teachers and students of all schools and styles. This event is for the capoeira community to come together, share knowledge, and grow together.
This video of the last event (which I was at) should give you a taste of what this event is about.
And, they're having another event, Capoeira Exchange 5.0. It's taking place at Union Station in Downtown L.A.
Onward.
Now, let's go back to the original question of this blog...
WHAT IS CAPOEIRA?
So, how did I answer this question? Did I tell you guys what Capoeira is? Right now, I think maybe I did.
But I've only been learning this art for a year and two months. Maybe a couple of years from now, I'll be saying, "OH HELL NO!!! I left a bunch of shit out." Some of you out there may be saying it now...
But Anyway, I'm gonna close this blog with something else I said before.
This is from "CAPOEIRA: A BRAZILIAN ART FORM" by Bira Almeida aka. Mestre Acordeon:
"I wished to be a dancer and I could not be. Today I dance in capoeira. I wanted to be a fighter, so I fight in capoeira. Because I want to be an artist and express myself, have self esteem, and be a real human being, I am a capoeirista."
Monday, November 16, 2015
THIS HAS GOT TO BE FUCKING EMBARRASING!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what happens when you're an asshole.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
FUN ON A TUESDAY MORNING...
GOOD MORNING, FAMILY!!!
I saw this video a couple of days ago on You Tube, and I wanted to show this to you.
MEN. What would you do if you were in this situation?
Monday, November 2, 2015
I HAD TO MAKE SOME CORRECTIONS...
Hello Everyone.
As you guys may know, 2 weeks ago, I made a blog titled, "MY AMAZING CAPOEIRA SUMMER!!!" where I talked about, well, the title is self-explanatory.
Anyway, when I showed the blog to one of my Capoeira teachers, Tope, he pointed out a few errors I had made.
For instance, I said that in Capoeira Angola, We don't buy the game. In case you wanted to know what that is, and how they do it, check it out:
But when Tope read this, he sent a message to me,part of which you can read below:
I wanted to make a quick suggestion or correction in Capoeira Angola you mentioned "we don't buy games"(from your blog)...well that is not entirely true, some rituals are just dying out...or maybe systematically being removed. Regional was from the original game; buying still exist in Capoeira angola...it is just very minimal but it is actually a tradition from Capoeira angola (not pastinha's codified methodology)...there is actually "comprar de jogo" it is MOSTLY played towards the end of the ritual roda festival...meaning at the end of specific roda event...sang to the Boa Viagem (good bye) corrido; there tends to be very traditional or sister type events linked to Capoeira. Like Samba de roda or "comprar de jogo", jogo de mestres etc etc associated with this...
Thought I will share that tidbit;
And to illustrate, he sent me this video with the message:
I also said that the berimbau rhythm called santa maria was the knife game.
Well, when Tope read that, this is what he had to say about it.
Also this is a minor thing, but you did say "I could be wrong" was with the santa maria toque...I have never heard it associated with a game...well currently I should say in Capoeira Angola (in the past it was a game with marked movements...so a precision game, where one learns how to properly measure actually now translated to the more larger angola game and philosophy of movement...the toque today represents "the sound of Capoeira or hino ...for both regional and angola I am told{lesser as the gunga and angola rhythm have tended to supersede this}). They are played with a slight variation for Bimbas and pastinhas associated toques. Now the sister toque which is "Apanha laranja no chao" is the money game...it is played a little faster...with a common or particular timing (cadence...). If you want to see the money game, it's in this documentary, about 40 minutes into it:
Oh yes and the Banguela (de Angola) was the knife game...
Here is a razorblade/knife game, for those of you who might be wondering. Although, I don't think the razorbade is real...
hths...
Anyway, I made the necessary corrections, so all is good.
Thanks, Tope!
O.K., Now, I want to show you this amazing video. The scenes were shot at an event I was at last September called THE CAPOEIRA EXCHANGE.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
WELL, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER...
Wassup Family!!! I want to talk to you guys about a very special Arts Event that Happened about a month ago, just days after summer ended.
But first, I need to tell y'all a story. I was told not to tell this story on my blog when it happened, but since we had 2 of these events, and what I'm about to tell you happened over 9 months ago anyway, I don't think anybody will mind.
It all started with a dinner after a RODA.
It was the first Sunday of this year. After an AMAZING RODA hosted by CECA Los Angeles, Jelani Ticum Lateef invited Charles Williams, Gregory Bickham and his wife Delilah, Ian Trujillo, and myself (Well, I actually was just along for the ride), out to a restaurant in LITTLE ETHIOPIA (you know what? I didn't know L.A. had a little ethiopia) to discuss something that was on his mind.
You see, as I said many times before, the style of capoeira We practice is Capoeira Angola.
in an effort to show everyone out there the beauty of this wonderful Martial Art, Jelani reaches out to the greater Capoeira Community here in L.A., and in other places, going to their rodas, and taking part in their events, like this one...
And they always receive him well. Even though at these events, they usually put aside some time for an Capoeira Angola Roda, what's usually played in these rodas is NOT Capoeira Angola. Now allow me to repeat myself here.
The style of capoeira we play is CAPOEIRA ANGOLA...
Which, has an entirely different look and feel to it than Capoeira Regional, or Contemporanea (Although there are many variations of how Capoeira Angola Mestres play and train).
I'm not hating on the other Capoeira Styles. In fact, I love all styles of capoeira. However, just because you slow down the music, play slow and close to the ground, don't allow people to BUY THE GAME, and occasionaly call a CHAMADA doesn't mean you're actually playing Capoeira Angola.
There's much more to it than that.
And on the flipside, just because I, as an angoleiro, start playing upright, and start throwing high kicks really fast, Doesn't mean I'm all of a sudden playing Capoeira Regional.
But anyway, Jelani was talking about how he enjoys going out to these events, and was lamenting on how the Capoeira Angola schools around here didn't have any similar events, and the fact that in this country, and in L.A. specifically, the Capoeira Angola community is quite small and fragmented, and there's not much unity among Angoleiros here. (at least that's what I got out of the conversation)
And then, he talked to us about this idea he had, about a Capoeira Angola event, a straight-up slumber party that combines a Capoeira Angola workshop with multiple art forms like music, poetry, etc. A way to introduce traditional Capoeira Angola to everybody who wants to learn it.
And around him, were the people who could help him make it happen.
Gregory and Delilah Bickham owned a WAREHOUSE in DTLA which could house the event, and could help teach the Capoeira Angola Workshop.
Charles Williams, as host of FREEDOM OF SPEECH THURSDAYS, knew some poets and entertainers who could do shows there, and he could help in the exercise portion of the Capoeira Workshop, while Jelani could teach the Capoeira Angola movement(The techniques and fighting strategy) portion of the workshop.
And last, but certainly not least, Ian Trujillo, a DJ and a graphic designer, could make flyers for the event, and be the DJ.
And so, long story short, out of that conversation, The CAPOLOCK24 was born. And after 3 months of planning and preparation, (And me keeping silent about what went on in that dinner conversation), everything was ready, and it was on!
So, What is capo-lock?
Capo-lock24 is an artist collective slumber party that combines Capoeira Angola and multiple art forms for 24hrs. Various teachers and group leaders from the Capoeira Angola/Afro Brazilian community will conduct workshops covering movement, dance, and music, in an open forum setting for all styles and levels.
Saturday evening, the event will extend into a nightlife celebration consisting of: spoken word, music performances, art installations, live art, healing arts, multiple DJs and a dance party. Vendors will also be present with food and merchandise.
People attending the event are encouraged to stay the night, bring your sleeping bags and tents. (There's ample amount of room in the warehouse)
Now the picture above was a flyer and schedule for the SECOND Capo-Lock, hence the name, "Capo-lock24 x2". There was one before this one, but I'm not gonna talk about it, because basically, the things that happened in the first event, also happened in the second event.
BUT CLICK HERE IF YOU WANNA CHECK OUT SOME COOL PICTURES FROM CAPO-LOCK24 X1
Yes I know. I should've blogged about the first Capolock a long time ago. But I didn't. In fact, there's a lot of events that I wanted to blog about this year.
But I didn't
And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
Now this time around, they had some sponsors for this event, which allowed them to expand a little bit.
SOL ADVENTURERS is a non-profit founded and operated by Roseanne Ware that helps disenfranchised youth find their vision through art education and mentorship in the United States and Jamaica. Proceeds from the event will be donated to help with Sol Adventurers mission. For more information, check out their web site at http://soladventurersfoundation.com/
MICHAEL MAITRE is a Leading Certified Professional Coach, public speaker, author and CEO of Purpose Health Consulting that has reached hundreds of executives, professionals and industry leaders with his dynamic message of living authentically and with purpose in the corporate marketplace and in personal life.
Now I've been wanting to blog about this guy for a while now, and I will.
But for now, if you want to know more information about him, check out his web site at http://michaelmaitre.com/
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT CAPO-LOCK24, CLICK HERE
Now all that being said, let's talk about Capo-lock24 x2.
SATURDAY!!!
The picture above is of a yoga class led by MARDHAVI SAKUNTALA at the beginning of Capo-Lock. It was a hour-long class where she led us through different postures. People might look at this and think we were being tortured... but it was not. It was painful, but our bodies were stretched, and our minds became calmer.
Which was essential for what came after her class...
And check out the class picture. After almost every workshop we had one of these.
Thank You Mardhavi. Your class was a wonderful introduction to this event.
After Mardhavi's class, We had an African Dance Class led by Jahanna Blunt and her group, LE BALLET DEMBAYA.
She showed us several dance forms from west africa. They were all fast and highly energetic. I was sweating like a pig throughout that class, but it was so much fun!!!
And here are her brothers, who not only played the drums for the class, but held it down for most of the night, even during the After-Party... But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
During the drum playing, some of us got up and got our dance on, and played and danced with each other for a little while, until about 8:00.
And that's when the Capoeira Roda started.
It was a nice Roda, with Capoeiristas from around the L.A. area, and as far away as Utah.
One of the Capoeiristas from Utah, was actually born in Brazil. And I got to play with her!
Her name is Mandingueira, and she, along with her friends, were out here in L.A. visiting local capoeira schools, and attending Capoeira events in the area, like Capoeira Brazil's 2015 Batizado, which was happening that week.
She was also featured in a recent CAPOEIRA PODCAST.
Season 2, Episode 2: Riding in Cars with Girls, to be exact.
Now after the Roda, there was a After Party, with live DJ's, musicians & poets, a Magic show, Bands, a dance floor, even a Bar.
There were many great acts that performed that night. Here are only a few of them. The amazing singer, SHELDON BOTLER, showed us some of his amazing singing skills. If you get the chance, you should definetely check him out, and buy one of his CD's.
And yes, LE BALLET DEMBAYA was on fire!
And MARDHAVI SAKUNTALA, who taught the yoga class earlier, performed an amazing belly dance.
And there weren't only great performers playing there, there were also a masseuse, vendors selling really cool stuff...
And this oxygen bar! If anybody out there has a chance to, Y'all should DEFINETELY try one out!
And let's not forget the photo booth...
Now, you may be wondering, "If this is a Capoeira Angola Intensive, why all the after party, musicians, poets, singers, etc.
Well, the answer is simple. It's to show how Capoeira Angola fits in with all of these art forms.
You see, Capoeira Angola is a way of life.
It's an ancient tradition brought to brazil by african slaves, but it's not a relic of the past.
It's a dance, but it's much more than that.
It's a deadly martial art, but it's much more than that.
It's singing and playing music, but it's much more than that.
It's a philosophy, but it's much more than that
It's Art, but it's much more than that.
In fact it's all those things, and more. And even though certain aspects are emphasized more than others at certain moments, depending on when we need them, it still has all those elements in it together.
Bira Almeida aka. Mestre Acordeon writes in his book, "CAPOEIRA: A BRAZILIAN ART FORM" , that a venerable capoeira said to him:
"I wished to be a dancer and I could not be. Today I dance in capoeira. I wanted to be a fighter, so I fight in capoeira. Because I want to be an artist and express myself, have self esteem, and be a real human being, I am a capoeirista."
So you see, Capoeira Angola has a deep connection to all of the other art forms that was showcased there that night, and the promoters wanted to show that.
But anyway, the After Party went on until around 2:30 A.M., and then, those of us who staying over for the night turned in, and went to sleep.
SUNDAY!!!
The photo below, is Greg Bickham conducting a caxixi workshop.
However, there were only 2 people in this workshop, me and this other guy, because well, everybody else was asleep. However, everybody else woke up around the time the caxixi Workshop was finished. I didn't get to finish mine, and I wish I could have taken it home to finish it, but I forgot all about it until the next day.
Now the guy who was making caxixi with me and greg, was also the Yoga instructor for the day, and right after the caxixi workshop, he led us through an hour of yoga. And I hate to admit it, but I couldn't do the whole hour.
And yes, another class picture...
Now after the yoga class, there was a Capoeira music class. We went over the basic berimbau toques Angola and Sao Bento Grande, and sang some songs. Now I know some of you don't like pictures, so click HERE if want to see a small clip of the class.
Now after the music class, we broke for lunch. (As a side note, I'd like to point out that there's a lot of good places to eat within walking distance of the warehouse. I personally recommend TACOS GAVILLAN).
After lunch, there was the Capoeira Angola workshops. The 1st was the conditioning workshop, led by CHARLES WILLIAMS. He basically led us through variations of the ginga, negativa, and the role. It doesn't sound like much, but you try doing it continuously for about an hour. And, it was a great preparation for the next class.
The next class was a Capoeira Angola movement class with Jelani Ticum Lateef. Although I have no pictures of the class to show you, click HERE if you want to watch a video clip of the class.
Click HERE too
Now in case you're wondering why there's no traditional Capoeira Music played during those video clips, well the beautiful thing about capoeira is that it can be played to any music that can move your soul.
After the music class, we all sat down and had a little panel, where we were asked basically, what can be done to make any future Capo-Locks better? And a few suggestions were made (And I hope to see some of them in the future).
And after that, we had our final roda of the day.
And yes, here's one final class picture. I love these peeps!!!
O.K., I would like to thank Aluz Sun, Sipho The Great Photography, Arianna Basco, and Lilah Bickham for taking the photos I used for this blog, and I would like a big shout out to the 5 people below, Ian Trujillo, Greg Bickham, Jelani Ticum Lateef, charles Williams, and Martha Castillo of HEART ON. without whom, this event wouldn't be possible. (Oh, and if you liked the Capo-Lock X2 t-shirts, you can thank Martha for that too).
You know, whenever I see this picture, it reminds me of that dinner from the beginning of this year. To see and witness this all come into fruition from one dinner conversation, is a very beautiful thing.
Even though the only thing I could do to help out is write a little blog about it...
Oh yeah.
And the next time we eat at that ethiopian restaurant, I'm ordering something with some meat in it!
Capoeira Angola, an ancient martial art of African origin, is one of the many cultural weapons used to break the chains of enslavement in Brazil. At one time, Capoeira was outlawed, with death being the penalty paid by those caught playing Capoeira during the slavery era. For almost 400 years Capoeira Angola was taught and practiced in secret, and only in the 1930's did this African martial art become legal to teach and practice.
We who practice Capoeira Angola owe it to all those who fought to keep it alive in the past...
To learn, practice, preserve, and show this beautiful way of life called Capoeira Angola to the world.
And, to pass it on to the next generation.
And I would also like to give a special thank you to Mestre Joao Grande. the man who has been doing just that for over 50 years.
Mestre João Grande, one of the top students of MESTRE PASTINHA, is a highly respected figure in the world of capoeira, and has received numerous awards.
These include a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Upsala College in East Orange, NJ in 1995, and in September of 2001 he was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is one of the most prestigious awards for practitioners of traditional arts in the US.
The video below is of a Award he received at the White House...
Now this last video clip is of charles playing in Griffith park. Now there will be another Capo-Lock next year, and me and charles talked about maybe getting this AMAZING SINGER AND HER FRIEND to come out and perform there.
And in case you're wondering if she's any good, she wrote the beautiful song that was playing in the video below.
And who knows, maybe we can get her, and a certain spoken-word artist we all know and love to do a replay of THIS SONG.
Anyway, just a little wishful thinking...
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT CAPO-LOCK24, CLICK HERE
I apologize for making this blog a whole month after this capo-Lock, but well, like the blog title says...
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