Maculelê
Maculelê
An Afro-Brazilian dance and combat exercise performed with wooden sticks or machetes to the rhythm of drums.
Quick Facts
CategoryConcept / Principle
Pronunciation/[mah-koo-leh-leh]/
Definition
Maculelê is not directly a style of capoeira, but it is closely tied to it historically and culturally, which is why it is often taught at the same academies. Practitioners (players) form a circle and, to the rhythm of the atabaque drums, synchronously clash their weapons (traditionally sticks called grimas or blunted machetes). It involves dynamic jumps, low stances, and rhythmic strikes against a partner's weapon. It originated among enslaved Africans on sugarcane plantations as a form of self-defense disguised as folk dance.