Capoeira Vibe

Capoeira Vibe were lucky enough to speak to Mestre Itapuã Beiramar shortly after the launch of the Capoeira documentary “Capoeira Q Roda” which follows Mestre Itapuã Beiramar and three of his friends Guaxini, Gege and Catarina as they visit five different rodas during a trip to Salvador da Bahia.

As well as talking about Projeto Q Roda we talk about his thoughts about his own capoeira, his website and capoeira’s potential for growth and a few projects that he will be involved in the not too distant future.

Hello Mestre! Can you introduce yourself to everyone reading on CapoeiraVibe.com?

My name is Itapuã Beiramar, I am from Rio De Janeiro, I am 35 years old, I have 36 years of capoeira as I count the time that I was in the belly of my mum, as my father is a capoeira mestre, Nestor Capoeira (author of world famous capoeira books, including “The Little Book of Capoeira”) and also my master. I have been playing capoeira my whole life. I have now established my own space, my own way of thinking, my own ways of expressing and teaching. My capoeira!

Mestre Itapuã Beiramar

Can you explain what you mean by “My Capoeira”?

It is a big achievement for a capoeirista when you understand “your capoeira”. After a long time of seeing watching, learning and understanding you start to walk on your own and start to create things, create a way to teach, ways to move, you start to create movements. Instead of just acquiring you start to put it out, you start to add to capoeira. You keep learning of course! For me it’s like a defining edge in the process of learning capoeira. It’s a definite shift that you can see in some people.

Why did you start ABeiramar.tv and how long has it been going for?

Abeiramar.tv started in September 2010 but my relationship with capoeira and video started in 2005 in a project with my mum when we directed a documentary about Mestre Leopoldina, the master of my father. We made a documentary called “Mestre Leopoldina: A Fina Flor da Malandragem” (Click here to see the trailer).

I became amazed at the relationship between capoeira and video. This wasn’t really done here in Brazil. I am a surfer and this something that we have had since the beginning in surfing. I made this connection and realised that capoeira could really benefit from the filming and using the videos. This was a moment in my life where I could get a camera and start to film and to show my students how they were playing and watch myself playing. I then went on to make a DVD “A Escola do Nestor Capoeira” showing the reality of the school that my father and I created in Rio. Read More…