Yoga gets a steroid shot at Carter Road

Find out why a bunch of men whith cool bodies are going to kick, cartwheel and stand of their heads while the sun sets on Sunday evening

Find out why a bunch of men whith cool bodies are going to kick, cartwheel and stand of their heads while the sun sets on Sunday evening

Remember the song from the late 90s Bollywood film where Akshay Kumar followed Shilpa Shetty all over the place begging her to give him baraah aana? It turns out Bollywood music directors can't even come up with an original begging song. This one's inspired by a Brazilian folk song, most popular with Capoeira performers. And that is just one of the songs they will perform to at the Carter Road Amphitheatre on Sunday evening.

Reza Massah and Nadav Rozenzweig take centrestage at Carter Road. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Holistic fitness

Reza Massah aka Monitor Baba, who loves to take off his shirt and show off his physique, takes the stage with a bunch of performers as the sun sets on Carter Road. They have an interesting evening planned for audiences with live music created using traditional Capoeira musical instruments like berimbau, pandeiro and atabaque, setting the mood for the acrobatic dance-martial arts performance.

"Capoeira is yoga on steroids. Through the performance, we want people to realise that this is one way of keeping your mind and body fit without spending thousands on gymming and other fads. Plus, Capoeira is a holistic way to keep fit because it's all about creating positive energy by singing, dancing and clapping," says Baba, who claims to have introduced the Afro-Brazilian art form to the city.

They'll tell stories of slaves

Joining Baba and his troupe is Instructor Horrivel aka Revivo aka Nadav Rozenzweig from Israel. Revivo takes credit for having taught Capoeira to the Israeli Army. The moment he takes over the berimbau, an ektara-like musical instrument, and starts humming, you know there's something electric about to unfold. Revivo will bring in his 12 years of experience to the stage. "We want people to know the origins of Capoeira. So the performance will be interspersed with stories of the slaves who started the movement," he says.

On: April 12 at Carter Road, Amphitheatre, Bandra (W), 7 pm.

What is Capoeira?

It's said to have been created in Brazil by the African slaves brought to the country in the 16th century. The performers form a roda, or circle, and take turns displaying acrobatic moves set to music.