PHOTOGRAPHY|PHOTO ESSAY|WRITING|CREATIVE WRITING
Shooting London
Dancing to the sound of the berimbau
This photo for me encapsulates what I love about London. Almost a month ago, during one of the warmest June days on record, we witnessed the first batizado capoeira sul da Bahia. Peckham, deep in south London proper, was the place, the Mountview (a performing arts school), the venue.
It’s hard to put into words what happened on the day. Yes, there were workshops (samba reggae and maculele, to mention two) and there was a roda, outside, cheered on by on-lookers. Above all, there was camaraderie, kinship, community spirit, and togetherness. Whether the participants were capoeira experts (like mestre Railson, flown in directly from Bahia for the event) or hangers-on, like yours truly (I’m not a capoeirista, but I’ve been following this martial arts for years), we were all welcomed with open arms.
I took four or five photos of the musicians. What struck me about this one is how the three berimbaus looked like three soldiers standing at attention. By contrast the musicians plucking their strings were relaxed. Two were looking directly into my lenses, breaking the otherwise uniformity of the picture.
The tradition of the batizado goes back to the times when capoeira was first practised. A new student is initiated to the sound of the berimbau. Usually, the new pupil will be paired with a more experienced one, turning this martial art into a joyful and playful dance.
That this batizado should have happened in Peckham was no coincidence. This is an area of southeast London known for its diversity and its large black population (although neighbouring Brixton and Croydon also boast a big African, African-Caribbean and Afro-Latin demographic). Go up Rye Lane — immortalised in the film of the same name recently — and you’ll come across a London that doesn’t make it to tourist brochures. Yet, this is the London that those of us who live in it can easily recognise.
I’ve taken many photos of capoeira events, however, this one feels more special than the others. We could have been in Bahia. But we were in Peckham, in our one-of-a-kind London.
You can buy me a coffee here.