Din, don, don: Mestre Paraná e o Grupo Folclórico de Capoeira São Bento Pequeno (1950-1960)

Abstract

This work seeks to question the construction of memory and history of capoeira in Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the twentieth century. Capoeira as a cultural manifestation is the subject of a growing number of art works, from theatrical to cinema movies, as well as government actions, with emphasis on its register as "intangible heritage of Brazilian culture." It is practiced in over 150 countries, and presents itself as one of the identities of Brazilians abroad. In Rio de Janeiro, capoeira had a great historical value in the memory of the nineteenth century, represented in various documents and letters from the State and from the intellectuals of the time. This history has been researched by authors who already attend their works being consecrated by the growing number of people interested in the topic. In contrast, the recent history of this practice is still a rare subject in the historiography, as well as in the other disciplines of the humanities. Thus, through ethnographic research with the "Grupo Folclorico de Capoeira São Bento Pequeno", capoeira school "Mestre Paraná", we question this gap in academic knowledge, as well as its reflections in the formation of "traditions"of capoeira in Rio de Janeiro. Grupo São Bento Pequeno was active in the 1950s and 1960s, a period of renewed growth of capoeira in Rio de Janeiro.