Capoeira festival brightens up mall

Spins, somersaults and samba kicked off the first Jakarta International Capoeira Festival (CAPOFEST) on Tuesday.

Opened by Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia Edmundo Fujita, the festival, which is taking place April 10-16 at Plaza Semanggi in South Jakarta, will showcase the skills of a number of Capoeira masters -- or Mestre in Portugese -- from the Groupo International Sinha Bahia de Capoeira.

""Capoeira covers all the multidimensional aspects of Brazilian culture,"" Fujita said.

""It's a symbol of Brazil itself,"" he said proudly.

The Groupo -- which means both style and school -- was represented by its international president, Mestre Cabeca; its Asia-Pacific president, Mestre Cicatriz (photo, demonstrating capoeira) who oversees Indonesia; and Mestre Binha and some students of the Brazilian martial art from Australia.

The festival was unofficially opened Monday night with a workshop on Anggola, a slower form of Capoeira

One of the bedazzled spectators, 21-year-old Geraldine, said the opening ceremony was outstanding because the martial art was rarely demonstrated here. ""This is the first time for me to see a complete demonstration of Capoeira,"" said the student at Atmajaya University. (JP/10)