Inside Kumugwe, the Bighouse on the traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, a crackling fire helps to illuminate the two totem poles facing the entrance. The wooden seats lining the perimeter of the sacred building fill with guests and supporters while in the back room, there’s a flurry of activity as performers ready themselves.
The occasion is an intercultural exchange between the Kumugwe Cultural Society and the Brazilian Cultural Foundation in celebration of Axé Capoeira Comox Valley’s 15th anniversary. The weekend is an international affair, with 18 North American and Brazilian guest instructors, including six mestres (masters) of capoeira, and 130 students from across British Columbia, half of whom are from the Comox Valley.
What is Capoeira?
Capoeira is a martial art that originated in Brazil in the 1700s. Enslaved Africans and native Brazilians practiced self-defense inside the privacy of a human circle, disguising their kicks, strikes, and dodges in the form of a dance to drums, singing, and clapping. Capoeira is both a sport and an indigenous art form. It was granted a special, protected status of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014 by UNESCO.
Locally, Axé Capoeira Comox Valley was established by Alicia Fennell, also known by her capoeira title and nickname, Professora Onça. After training in Vancouver for eight years with Grand Master Mestre Barrão, Fennell moved to the Comox Valley with her family in 2009. Following a few years of teaching classes at local rec centres, she was finally able to realize her dream of building a capoeira community by opening her private academy in 2014.
“Currently we have a very solid and devoted student base of about 65 children and 30 adults,” says Fennell. “We do demos in local schools and at community events, and our students travel all over, including Brazil, to compete and train.” She adds, “The pandemic hit us hard, but we seem to be thriving now as the hunger for culture and connection has renewed to 110%.”
An intercultural celebration at the Bighouse
The intercultural celebration at the Bighouse is a highlight of Axé Capoeira Comox Valley’s milestone anniversary. After an introduction by Andy Everson, the guests are treated to several dances performed by the Kumugwe Dancers, who wear intricate, colourful regalia. Each dance is a beautifully crafted story, accompanied by live traditional drumming and song.
Following the Kumugwe Dancers, the leader of Axé Capoeira in Canada, Mestrando Barrãozinho, introduces several dances from northeastern Brazil that feature a number of students performing acrobatic capoeira solos. The night concludes with both groups and all the spectators participating in a Hu-ya-hu-yay dance around the fire, led by the Kumugwe Cultural Society hosts.
It’s a powerful evening for Fennell, who says, “I have always known that the incredible power of capoeira—its connection with healing from oppression, and the warrior spirit it embraces—is important in steps towards the healing and reconciliation process.”
Keisha Everson, a member of the Kumugwe Cultural Society, agrees. “It is profound and uplifting to share culture with the Axé Capoeira dancers, their families, and the community,” she says. “It is validating and inspiring to see another culture and art form practised and celebrated despite the attempted genocide that their ancestors survived [like that perpetrated on] indigenous peoples in North America and Canada.”
Batizado and Troca de Corda
The following day, celebrations continue at L’école Au-cœur-de-l’île in Comox. First up is a Batizado, an event where local students are initiated into the art of capoeira by learning from, and then sparring with, the capoeira mestres, accompanied by live Brazilian music. Each student then receives a white belt to mark their first official experience in the capoeira playing circle. Next is the Troca de Corda, or belt ceremony, where those looking to earn their next belt have the opportunity to show their skills against a master.
For Fennell, it’s a perfect highlight to wrap up the weekend: “As a teacher, it is a beautiful moment to witness the joy of the students’ hard work paying off, and their peers’ and families’ smiling faces. You can witness their mental, physical, and spiritual growth that the culture and community has infused in them during this magical event.”
