About our Prints

As opposed to stereotypical representations of Capoeira, often found at tourist shops, our prints are designed with the intent of expressing Capoeira’s true cultural richness and of educating our customers about its history and values. By purchasing a BASSULA® product you will not only acquire a high quality tasteful product inspired by Capoeira, but will also learn about the history and culture of this beautiful art-form. Check it out…

Capoeira is commonly understood as a blend of dance and fight. But for us it is a lot more than that. Capoeira is a game and it is also a language – it is a dialogue between two bodies. This print is a graphic interpretation of two famous mestres, João Grande and João Pequeno, in the middle of a game of Capoeira. As João Pequeno (left) uses a “rabo de arraia” to question his fellow player, João Grande (right) prepares to respond with the same move. The “Rabo de Arraia” is one of Capoeira’s trademark moves.

In 1966 Mestre Pastinha and his students traveled to Africa to represent Brazil through Capoeira in the First International Festival of Black Arts, in Dakar – Senegal. That was an important moment in the history of Capoeira, which symbolizes its recognition as a Brazilian art form of African roots. In the words of Mestre Pastinha: “Pastinha já foi à África, pra mostrar Capoeira do Brazil” (Pastinha has been to Africa to show Capoeira from Brazil).

During the times when the practice of Capoeira was still illegal, Manoel dos Reis Machado, the famous “Mestre Bimba”, founded the “Centro de Cultura Física Regional (CCFR)”. In 1937, the CCFR became the first Capoeira academy in history to be officially recognized by Brazilian federal authorities. After a long history of persecution, Capoeira was finally on its way to being recognized as one of the symbols of Brazil’s national identity.

Capoeira has been a predominantly male practice for most of its history. However, during the last decades, Capoeira has gained a brand new flavor thanks to the increasing presence and contributions of women in the Capoeira scene all over the world. “Capoeira mandou me chamar” (Capoeira has called me) is the BASSULA® way of honoring all the female Capoeira practitioners and their legacy of endurance against male prejudice and sexism that still pervades the world of Capoeira.

During the 1950s and 1960s, in Salvador, Bahia, the most renowned capoeiristas in the city, as well as cultural icons such as Jorge Amado and Carybé, attended the legendary roda of Mestre Waldemar. The roda would take place every Sunday in the famous black neighborhood of Liberdade and it was a symbol of Afro-Brazilian cultural resistance.

When we hear the word “dendê” the first thing that comes to our minds are the delicious dishes of Bahian cuisine: moqueca, acarajé, vatapá, bobó de camarão, etc. Dendê is the fruit of the “dendezeiro”, a palm tree originally from Africa, taken to Brazil in the 17^th century during the slave trade. Its oil is used to make many of the mouth-watering Afro-Brazilian dishes. In Bahia, when we say that something “tem dendê” (has dendê), it means that it has “flavor”. That’s why we say “Capoeira tem Dendê!”

The Berimbau is a musical instrument of African origins. It was brought to Brazil during the times of slavery, where it went through adaptations until it reached its current form. In Brazil, the Berimbau became associated with different occasions, but it was through Capoeira that it became most popular. The Berimbau commands the ritual of Capoeira, dictating the rhythm and the type of game that is played. We always make reverence to the Berimbau before beginning the game. The Berimbau is our sacred instrument!

The Atabaque is one of the most important instruments in traditional Afro-Brazilian music. It is present in Capoeira, Samba, Candomblé and many other Afro-Brazilian cultural practices. In Capoeira, it is the Atabaque that helps the players hold on to the rhythm. A good Atabaque can be made of bull’s skin. That’s why we sing “Meu Atabaque é de Couro de Boi!” (my atabaque is made of bull’s skin).

The Berimbau is the main musical instrument of Capoeira. It is the Berimbau that dictates the cadence of the game. In a Capoeira orchestra, we say “Viola” when we are referring to the Berimbau with the smaller gourd. It is the Viola that makes all the rich rhythmic variations and improvisations, giving a special flavor to the music of Capoeira; like a solo guitar in a Rock and Roll band. We say “chora viola!” (Cry Viola!) to encourage the viola player to make soulful variations and improvisations.

It is a tradition among many Capoeira groups to organize events such as the Batizado (baptism) and Troca de Corda (belt change). During these events, a capoeirista could be initiated into the world of Capoeira by playing in the roda for the first time with a Mestre or an older student. In other cases, the capoeirista is evaluated in order to move along the belt system. These events are adopted by most Capoeira Contemporânea schools and have become a big part of the culture of Capoeira.

“Bassula” means “rasteira” (foot sweep) in Kimbundu and is also the name used to describe an old combat-game played by the fishermen of Luanda, the capital of Angola. The objective of the game is to knock the other player down onto the sand. Bassula is considered by many researchers to be one of the possible African traditions in which Brazil’s Capoeira is rooted.