Mestre Barrão Contemporânea

Mestre Barrão

Background

Marcos "Barrão" DaSilva (born 1961) is a Brazilian capoeira mestre (master) and founder of Grupo Axé Capoeira, which has schools worldwide. He began Grupo Axé officially in 1982 in Vancouver and since has had schools established around the world.

Early Life

Marcos da Silva, Mestre Barrão was born in the port city of Recife, on the North East coast of Brazil. Recife is renowned for its Brazilian music and dance, and its long Capoeira tradition. In 1974, at the age of 13, Marcos began studying Capoeira with Mestre Pirajá. While learning the foundations of the art, he showed an affinity for the drums and other instruments as well as the skills that would conduct his life. After three years of training with Mestre Pirajá, who eventually left on sabbatical, Marcos went on in 1977 to continue his training with Mestre Teté.

Mestre Teté shared with him the ways of the Street Capoeirista. He learned about the variable situations of the street: how to be shrewd and clever when playing, how to read opponents, and how to judge situations that one invariably finds oneself in, both inside and outside of the Roda of Capoeira. It was through this training that Mestre Barrão learned the techniques needed to survive in Capoeira and how to effectively apply his techniques to any roda.

Capoeira Competitions

In 1979, he began to enter Capoeira competitions throughout North East Brazil and in 1980, Marcos began to teach. In 1982, a young Barrão was determined to test his skills against the best opponents he could find and entered the prestigious National Championship in Rio de Janeiro. Such was his skill and fortune that in the end, he left as Brazilian Champion. Upon his return, many opportunities came his way to teach in schools, community centres, and universities throughout Brazil and eventually he formed Grupo Axé Capoeira. In 1987, he was graduated to First Degree Master by Mestre Pirajá. He has now received his Second Degree Master.

Ventures out of Brazil

In 1990, Mestre Barrão was invited to demonstrate his art at the International Children’s Festivals throughout North America and eventually found himself in Canada at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. After spending 1991 teaching in Italy, Barrão decided to immigrate to Canada in 1992 and begin teaching here at various locations. He started The Annual International Capoeira Encounter and has renowned and respected Mestres from all over the world visit and share their skills. In 1996, he opened Canada’s first Academy of Capoeira.

Mestre Barrão to this day receives frequent invitations to conduct and teach Capoeira at international workshops. The mestres who assembled at the Melhores Do Seculo event in Curitiba Parana in 2000, recognized Mestre Barrão as one of the great capoeiristas of the century, due to his skill and contribution to Capoeira. Mestre Barrão and his Grupo Axé Capoeira have recorded nine CD volumes of Capoeira music and one other, together with Mestre Burguês which continues to be tremendously popular throughout Brazil. They have also released Axé Capoeira 2000, a video of the 2000 International Encounter as well as Axé Capoeira Performance Videos – Brazil 2001, Brazil 2003, & Brazil 2005. Mestre Barrão now has schools in Canada, Brazil, United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Russia, China, Trinidad & Tobago, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Serbia, Azerbaijan, France, UK, Czech Republic, Angola, Turkey, Japan, Barbados, Belarus, Dominican Republic, and Poland.

Grupo Axé Capoeira

Grupo Axé Capoeira began in Recife in 1982. Today, as Canada’s first academy of Capoeira, the Group continues to rise as one of the world’s leading Capoeira organizations.

The Group continues to travel around the world and participate in competitions and has participated in the 2001 International Capoeira Competition in Argentina. Furthermore, Grupo Axé Capoeira is renowned as a traveling group which promotes the history, music, art, and culture of Brazil in interactive and educational demonstrations.

Axé Capoeira is working hard to ensure that Capoeira has a strong future and can be placed among the most widely practiced and respected martial art forms in the world. Through historical research, travel and event participation, Axé Capoeira hopes to increase our knowledge in the art and contribute to the evolution and growth of Capoeira.