WOMAD

Quilombo

From Brazil

The martial art of Capoeira is one of the most stunning and remarkable jewels in the treasure trove of Afro-Brazilian culture. This ritualised combat has its roots deep in the days of slavery when adversaries apparently used knives and razors tied to their feet with lethal effect. Quilombo draw inspiration from Capoeira as well as the ancient and intensely dramatic Maculele dance in which a group of men go at each other with sticks to the rhythm of the atabaque drum. The show will take you on a journey from the 16th century to the present day, re-telling the stories of slave heroes and free men with a dazzling display of acrobatics, acro-balance and Afro-Brazilian dance. The artistic director of Quilombo is Edson Pereira da Silva, a lynchpin of the Brazilian National Circus. Biography by Andy Morgan, June 2001