Citizen-Times, Asheville, North Carolina's local news site, posted a lengthy article and video about Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola, the local Capoeira Angola group. The article touches on the background of the group and the students and discusses the history of Capoeira but one very interesting detail about the group is that, in 2009, they had a 6-week exchange program with a Capoeira academy in Brazil.

There are groups in larger cities like Durham and Charlotte, but the school in Asheville is unusual because of its relationship with other schools in Brazil. Students at the school have honed their skills with the help of a mestre, or master. In 2009, six people participated in a six-week exchange with a school in Brazil. The visitor from Brazil, a mestre, taught students in Asheville "directly from the roots."

Students at the beginner's class on a recent Monday evening first learned how to play the musical instruments before moving on to the basic moves, such as negativa, where a person goes low to one side to avoid an attack. Then the game begins.

The corridos, or songs, in capoeira usually relay either history or instructions, such as how fast or slow they will move while playing. Music plays an important part in the game because it helps guide the game and, as in other cultures, it also tells stories.

In “Parana ê,” the corrido tells of how the slaves returned victorious from the War of Paraguay, which began in 1865. A law allowed slaves who entered the war and who returned to win their liberty. Capoeira gave them an advantage because, at the time, battles depended more on hand-to-hand fighting than on weapons.

Fitness with a Brazilian flavor: Capoeira Angola fuses rhythm and martial arts