Capoeira & Handicraft Market
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Port
Natal, Brazil
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$130
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Shortly after Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500, slaves were imported from West Africa to work on farms, on sugar plantations and in the gold and diamond mines. The West Africans brought their beliefs, stories, healing arts, and music and dance with them and today, this legacy is a vital part of Natal's celebrated history.
Discover this rich and vibrant artistic heritage for yourself during a three-hour excursion that begins with a performance of one of the world's most riveting dances and ends with shopping for sought-after handicrafts.
After boarding your air-conditioned coach at the pier it's just a short drive to the community of Boa Vontade on the outskirts of Natal. As soon as you disembark you'll be treated to a performance of Capoeira, an artful blend of martial arts, acrobatics and music. West Africans and indigenous tribes merged to create a number of musical styles and instruments including hand and friction drums like the zabumba, cuica and reco reco, shakers and the berimbau, which is a single-string percussion instrument that's used like a bow. Most of these instruments are used as part of the Capoeira performance.
Watch how performers called capoeiristas use quick and complex moves, speed, kicks and spins, and cartwheels and handstands to create a rhythmic show. But while it looks like a spirited dance, the capoeira was initially designed as a serious fight held between slaves who needed to disguise the fight from their owners. Today, the art of capoeira is practiced all over the world and in 2014 capoeira, Brazil's iconic symbol of culture, was granted special protected status as an "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO.
Next on your cultural journey is a trip to the local Tourism Center for a look at another West African tradition - handicrafts. Since Brazil's northeast was the first region to be discovered and colonized by European explorers in the 16th century, many of the arts and crafts strongly feature West African influences. Once inside, you'll have time to browse the many stalls for ceramics, red clay pottery, musical instruments, baskets and woven textiles. You may find wood sculptures such as the carranca, an adaptation of African masks once placed on a boat's prow to ward off evil spirits.
After finding that perfect reminder of your trip, you'll rejoin your coach for the scenic ride back to your ship enlightened and charmed by this unforgettable experience.