Capoeira Senzala Slovenija, Contramestre Luis Claudio

Senzala

Group Senzala has existed for about 40 years and is one of the most known and spread groups all around the world. Most of the greatest capoeira schools are marked by the teaching method, developed by the Senzala group. In Europe it shows up for the first time in England in 1971 and roots with the arrival of Mestre Gato in 1989.

The story of Senzala begins in 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, when three brothers from Salvador-Bahia (Paulo, Rafael and Gilberto Flores) move to Rio de Janeiro. They have been introduced to capoeira already in their native Bahia, where they have been training with two of the most prominent mestres: Bimba and Pastinha. Because capoeira becomes an important part of their lives, Paulo starts teaching in anteroom of the building they lived in. This small group of teenagers exchanges experience and knowledge with other groups and clubs in Rio de Janeiro as ‘capoeira de Sinho’ (probably the last manifestation of old capoeira in Rio de Janeiro, pernade de carioa and samba duro) and capoeira of mestre Artur Emídio.

As the first of today known mestres, Mestre Gato joins the group. Soon after Claudio Jose Queiros, Peixinho and  Itamar join the group as well.

In 1964 Gato in Paulo Flores, representing Academia Santana, take part in the tournament called ‘Berimbau de Prata’ (Silver Berimbau), where they take third place.

With regular classes, group of friends is becoming stronger and bigger every day. Among others, the brother of mestre Gato – Gil (Gil Velho now), Eliseu Barra, Gorila, Antero, Sanfona, Bigode, Jimmy, William, Fala Mansa join the group. Average age is 17 years, except two boys, age 9 and 10, who regularly participate classes and presentations. These are Garrincha and Sorriso (video). Year 1965 is crucial for the group. Folklore group called ‘Vem Camará’ (Come friend), led by Mestre Acordeon, one of the most prominent capoeiristas in the Academy of Mestre Bimba, brings the cream of capoeira regional to Rio. While staying in Rio, Acordeon takes classes of the group, where he teaches boys, eager to learn, tricks and technics of Bimba’s capoeira regional. Meanwhile, when all the performers from the show return to Bahia, the youngest among them, Preguiça, graduated student of Mestre Bimba, decides to join the group. The same year today’s important names in capoeira, Cláudio Danadinho, Itamar and Peixinho, join the group.

In 1965, during the exhibition in the club ‘Germânico’ (the German club), the group represents itself for the first time under the name Senzala. They realise several presentations on television, theater, judo wolrd cup etc. and gain on recognisibility this way.
In 1967 the group becomes famous all over Brasil, when the pair Preguiça and Gato become the champions of the tournament, called ‘Berimbau de Ouro’ (Golden Berimbau), and repeats the success in 1968.
Next year their attendance on the tournament is forbidden with explanation that the competition is open to students only and not mestres as well. Because they are only students as well, they oppose the prohibition. The society of capoeira explains that on the ground of knowledge showed in previous two years, they are recognised as mestres.
Due to the ban, Preguiça and Gato train Mosquito and Borracha and prepare them for the competition. The fame of Senzala group is once again preserved with victory. Because of the great reputation, the number of students in the Senzala group considerably grows.
The group initially trained capoeira, taught by Mestre Bimba, but gradually capoeira from Rio and especially from Bahia started to influence the group. Meanwhile Senzala becomes the leading group and its reputation in Brasil nothing but grows.
Due to the great organisation and quality capoeiristas, in the end of 1980 the group decides to expand its knowledge beyond Brasil borders. Today Senzala is present in the USA, France, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Hungary, Serbia, Germany,…and since January 2009 in Slovenia as well.