Capoeira in Mourning as Mestre Ananias Passes Away at 92

Rolha Capoeira

1 minute read

Capoeiristas all over the world are grieving from the loss of another legend, Mestre Ananias. He died on July 20 at age 92 in São Paulo, Brazil. Ananias was known for being well-rounded and a complete embodiment of the art of capoeira, and one of the few remaining members of capoeira’s honored past. Born in São Felix, Bahia, Mestre Ananias went on to be who many consider the father of the capoeira scene in São Paulo, bringing with him the full breadth of Afro-Brazilian culture from Bahia.

How Muhammad Ali’s Boxing Style Evokes Capoeira

Rolha Capoeira

1 minute read

Megan Livingston, writing for ESPN platform The Undefeated:

Historian Matthias Röhrig Assunção’s book, Capoeira: The History of an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art, describes capoeira as “the black art of the male underdog” and “a model of counter-hegemonic practice.” It doesn’t feel premature to assert that capoeira and Ali have a lot in common.
Later:
Ali is the capoeira of boxing. He is the dununba of the ring; the dance of the strong man in the flesh.
Megan’s piece provides us with a…