Guia Cultural da Costa Verde

Angra dos Reis • Angra dos Reis

GRUPO SENZALA DE CAPOEIRA

Honoring their red belts

The respected Grupo Senzala has a background and has trained many well-known instructors who have spread capoeira beyond the country’s borders. Its origins go back to 1963 in the Rio de Janeiro district of Laranjeiras, where brothers Paulo, Rafael and Gilberto Flores trained with a group of people that never stopped growing. The group created its own style of modern capoeira that influenced generations. One of its features was the adoption of red belts for instructors (there have been 34 red belts in the course of its activities). Mestre Peixinho was outstanding in capoeira, having joined Grupo Senzala in 1965 before becoming a world reference.

It is said that Mestre Peixinho was one of the key people in professionalizing capoeira. In 1974, he became dedicated solely to capoeira and opened his training center in Rio de Janeiro’s district of Copacabana, providing opportunities for many young men with no future outlook, and even gave lessons free of charge. He created the Centro Cultural Senzala de Capoeira with its own personality in the Senzala group. The late Mestre Peixinho, deceased in 2011, trained many instructors and teachers with his serious and strict method. All of them have continued his work with the same determination and seriousness, and a number of pupils have opened branches of Senzala Capoeira in other cities and even other countries.

One of the 34 red belts trained in the Group with Mestre Peixinho is Mestre Abutre, also in charge of Grupo Senzala de Capoeira in Angra dos Reis and who has been teaching for 30 years. Following his mentor’s methods, his efforts have been excellent with lessons in communities and in Casa Larangeiras. His instructions also include theory, covering the history of capoeira and Afro culture, besides lessons in percussion.

Mestre Abutre, who is also a counselor of folk culture and folklore, is highly committed and has a special talent for composing music. He has been interviewed in TV shows. He encourages the Senz-Aliados movement and gives citizenship and Afro culture lectures, as well as lively capoeira circles. During the Consciência Negra week (November) there will be a meeting with jongo, capoeira, candomblé performances and others. Another important event is the Capoeirangra (August) that displays outstanding performers in capoeira circles and attracts practitioners, enthusiasts and tourists to Praça Zumbi dos Palmares. Visits may be arranged for rehearsals, meetings, lessons and lectures.

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