Thanks to Prof. Indio we have pics and video footage of the event. You can check out his website at http://guanabara.ca/ for more information on his school in Canada. Thanks Prof. Indio!

We just had 4 full days of incredible workshops and batizado. What a week! Mestre Di Mola, Prof. Baiano and Prof. Indio came in for the event and added amazing energy to the event. Prof. Baiano conducted incredible music classes, we had an open roda on 24th and Mission and played a ton of capoeira!

But they weren’t the only ones to come visit us in SF! We had students from every single one of our chapters in the US and Canada join us. Chicago, NYC, LA, Seattle, Madison, Amherst, Minnesota, Winnipeg, and even Sweden. It was such a great event. But let the pics tell the story….

Here are photos from the batizado.

I had no excuses. I was going to Rio. It will be my 3rd tour of duty.

Palhaço was in summer school and he couldn’t miss any classes without getting kicked out so he had to stay home. I called up a couple of my girlfriends (also capoeira students) and in 24 hours we had our tickets.

Angela (Manga Rosa), Vicki (Sabeginha) and Me (Andorinha)

So we were on our way to Brazil.

I was given no information about recording times, possible songs I was singing, or training times or locations. I had no information other than Professor Baiano’s phone number. That’s it. Hopefully he picks up…..

We finally got in touch with Baiano and were told to meet him at Cosme Velho to train a little bit with Mestre Preguica and Mestre Di Mola. As we get there we are greeted by all of the capoeira instructors from around Brazil. No students, just Instructors and Professors. And so it begins.

The training was excellent and as a capoeira teacher, it is rare to get to train with a group of fellow capoeira instructors. It was invigorating to challenge and to be challenged.

But I digress, This blog entry is about the music, let’s refocus on recording this CD.

A bunch of capoeira kids that joined us after training.

After training, we head out to Barra Tijuca which is where the recording studio is located. It took us about an hour to get there. We were sweaty and hungry from training and seeing that we would only get started at about 10pm, it looked like it was going to be a long night.

…….And it was.An awesome night but one that kept us going until 5:30 int he morning. We recorded throughout the evening. Excellent songs, on point bateria, perfect. However, I still didn’t have the song that I was going to sing. Mestre Di Mola spoke of this ’song’ throughout the evening but I still have yet to see anything. I was getting nervous but I have to have faith so I waited.

Finally around 2am I get the song. Baiano sings the lyrics and melody with me. For those that have heard any of  Omulu Capoeira Guanabara’s CDs you will recognize baiano’s voice immediately. He has a voice that stands apart from the capoeira crowd, it is incredibly operatic. One can easily consider him a prodigy. Simply said, he’s got vocals. As Baiano goes through the melody with me, I start to see that he is a stickler with details. He is a perfectionist and was not going to let me slide for a second. I get nervous. We decided that rehearsing at 3 in the morning was not going to get me anywhere. We finally finish at 5:30 am and it is at this point that I am reminded that I am not as young as I used to be.

Recording the 4th CD

Next day, I holed myself in my apartment in Ipanema. I practiced the song throughout the day. Later on I met up with Baiano and Indio. We hung out at Ipanema Beach and I, of course, continued to practice and sing. I had very little time to make this song not only sound good but also my own.

We met the next day to record. This time we met a little bit earlier because we needed to be finished in time to get to Lapa for the roda. This means that I cannot mess up because I will NOT be the one making Mestre DiMola late to his Lapa roda. We go through all of the songs and I was the last to go. I was ready.

A shot of cachaça settled some of my nerves and I was felling confident. Let’s do this thing.

BUT then Mestre DiMola flipped the script. He wanted Baiano and I to do a duet. Wait. What?? That is like trying to hang with Mariah Carey. So, ladies and gentlemen, it was time for my ‘A’ game. Take no prisoners. Let’s unleash the dogs.

It it turned into an experience that I will always remember. Signing with Professor Baiano forced me to push myself out of any comfort zone. He has got crazy vocals and an ability turn any melody into something that is absolutley poetic. It was truly a humbling experience but also one where I know that I let there be no boundaries on my own voice. It was then that I realized that I hold back quite a bit when I sing in the roda and I am not sure why. Singing with Baiano gave me license to unleash my own true ability.

The contributors of the 4th CD

And that is priceless.

Sometimes I wonder why I stayed with capoeira for such a long time. Sometimes I fell like capoeira is the boyfriend that I can’t break up with even though he can sometimes give me a huge headache. But then I am reminded. Capoeira brings me gifts. All the time. It brings me training with world classes mestres, recording CD’s, staying up till all hours of the morning with fellows capoeirstas signing capoeira songs and drinking chopp, dancing samba and pagode, and, of course, roda’s in Lapa.

Muito Obrigada, Meus Mestres, Rio, e capoeira!

Monday starts up our regular training schedule and I hope that everyone is there.

Laurette, Sapo, Amos and Angela

Best pic of Sabedinha EVER!

Prof. Indio on Berimbau

Palhaço, Prof. Indio, Mestre Preguiça and Andorinha

Aceituno Arts represent!

Aceituno arts REPRESENT!!

Date:

Thursday, April 9th-11th (White cords-yellow/orange cords)
Wednesday, April 8th-11th (Orange cords and above)

Wednesday- 7:00-9:00 (Orange cords and above)
@ Aceituno Arts Cooperative (SF)

Thursday- Time TBA (all levels)
@ St. Mary’s rec. in Bernal Heights (SF)

Friday- 6:00-7:30 (Orange cords and above)
7:30-9:30 (All levels)
@ Malonga Center for the Arts, 1428 ALICE ST, OAKLAND, CA 94612 (Buscha He’s training space)

Saturday- Time TBA (all levels)
@ St. Mary’s rec. in Bernal Heights (SF)
(I will notify everyone of the times at St. Mary’s once we solidify details.)

Price: $60 for entire workshop for white-orange/yellow cords
$80 for entire workshop for Orange and above
$25 drop-in

We are keeping the prices low to encourage everyone to come. Prof. Indio is an incredible capoeirsta and teacher. You will leave these workshops inspired. The workshops open to all levels will also be open to all capoeira students in the Bay Area.

I have attached the registration form to this email. Please print it up and mail it or hand deliver it to me WITH PAYMENT!

ALL REGISTRATION FORMS AND MONEY ARE DUE ON APRIL 4TH. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY IOU’S OR MONEY ANY TIME AFTER APRIL 4TH. Sorry it has to be this way but I will not be handling any money on the day of workshops. Those who turn in the registration form late will not be able to attend. This includes drop-in’s. If you plan on only going a couple of days, you need to pay that before April 4th as well.

I hope to see everyone there!

Palhaço and I spent this past weekend in Seattle for to take part in some capoeira workshops being held by the Seattle Omulu Guanabara chapter. Mestre preguiça was supposed to come out for this event but due to unforseen circumstances, was unable to make it. Prof. Indio stepped in last minute to teach the workshops. When we found this out we were pretty excited because prof. Indio is a newer member to the Omulu Guanabara family. We have only had a few workshops with him and were looking forward to getting to know him better.

Before the summer of 2008, Prof. Indio operated under the group Viva Capoeira up in Winnepeg, Canada. He has a deep history with Mestre Di Mola and for the past several years has been reconnecting with M. Di Mola and Mestre Preguiça. For the past few years he has been at all of our events until, finally, he made the switch. In the summer of 2008 at the Omulu Guanabara Encounter in Sweden, Prof. Indio was invited to our group. 

There is no doubt that Prof. Indio is a gifted capoeirsta. Before Prof. Indio had any connection with our group, we were watching old videos of him. Prof. Indio always had a reputation for incredible floreo and a quick and smart game. His movements are effortless and he made the sport look easy.

So here we are in Seattle training with Prof. Indio. What can we say????

His workshops were excellent. They were challenging and well thought out. His feedback, insightful. By talking to him, we could tell that he is passionate about being part of our group and carrying out M. Di Mola and M. Preguiça’a vision.

And on a lighter note, he is just a cool guy. He has an incredible sense of humility and humor. …..

So, with that said, welcome to our group Prof. Indio. You are now now part of the family.

Below are some videos of Indio….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Fkvjq7jrw

(Prf. Indio is the one with the t-shirt)