The Criminalization of Capoeira

As we were discussing in class when practicing the Bimba sequences, the development of capoeira has been inexorably linked with the socioeconomic situation in Brazil, and it still is today. The practice of capoeira was once a criminal offence carrying jail sentence, and it was amidst this prohibition that Mestre Bimba developed what is known as capoeira regional, revolutionising the art form. The following article gives a  clear account of how and why capoeira was criminalised and what capoeira was before and after criminalisation. It's an interesting and detailed read.