Last weekend was a flurry of activity as Bantus Malaysia was invited to participate in the infamous yet famously publicized Fête De La Musique. And so it was that on a sunny Saturday afternoon, a troop of Bantus Capoeiristas appeared miraculously at the waterfall in 1 Utama, all geared up and ready to perform. They wowed the crowd with their stunning and dashing display of moves—the writer was conspicuously absent as he was bound by ‘duty’ elsewhere. However from interviews with other Bantus capoeiristas and fans alike, it was said that the Saturday show proved to be a crowd pleaser. And everything was alright.

A small troop of Bantus capoeiristas grouped together in front of Lot 10 and played capoeira!

Saturday aside, Bantus was due to perform at two more shows in the heart of Kuala Lumpur…and so it was that on a sunny Sunday afternoon (somehow shows happened to be on sunny days), a small troop of Bantus capoeiristas grouped together in front of Lot 10 and played capoeira! We were joined by KK from the Kuantan group, and by Norazman and his crew from CAAOM. What followed was an intense session of capoeira which proved to be rather good despite the absence of our instructor, Rafael.

The roda lasted long enough for the hungry crowd to lap up every ounce of axé we had to offer. After which, everyone dispersed for a quick snack before our next performance later on in the day. Some had to leave to spend time with their fathers, it being father’s day and all. A few people, namely Quek and Andrew decided to hang back and play some chill-out angola music while waiting for time to pass. They were joined by a few others as they came trickling back to the entrance of Lot 10.

As more capoeiristas appeared, some began to play a little angola.

Soon, a sizeable crowd had gathered to witness this bold display of music in a public vicinity. As more capoeiristas appeared, some began to play a little angola. Meanwhile all this activity was attracting quite a crowd, and with the arrival of Rafael, we decided to give them a quick demonstration before moving on to our main and final performance of the day.

The fifteen-minute roda seemed to last longer as everyone played, building up a massive amount of axé which would soon explode upon the steps of Tang’s. No doubt everyone was happy and spirits were high as we made ready to adjourn to our final location.

By the time we set things up, a sizeable crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was about.

There was initially some confusion about where we were supposed to perform, so in true Bantus fashion, we unanimously decided to perform on the doorsteps of Tang’s in front of BB plaza. By the time we set things up, a sizeable crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was about. We started with some music, followed by the singing and the games.

What followed can only be described as a wonderful display of axé as everyone played their hearts out. As the games progressed, the axé was slowly building up, and the energy was intense! The crowd was a good one, with a lot of people adding to the fun by clapping along to the music and the beat.

Everybody held their breath for a split second and the thought finally registered in their heads. The roda was over!

As the roda approached its climax, the music intensified, and the games were fast and powerful! And then, BOOOM! Everything stopped! Silence. Peace. Relief. Everybody held their breath for a split second and the thought finally registered in their heads. The roda was over!

And the axé exploded and spilled out to every corner of the street as the crowd dispersed and the capoeiristas basked in the contented feeling of achievement that only a good roda can offer. Everyone was tired, but a hell lot happier as they went about their separate ways, knowing that soon, very soon in fact, (the next day actually) they would meet again to share the energy that they had just experienced.

» More photos by Kenneth