Capoeira Trinity
Donation protected
Eight years ago, I fell in love with Capoeira a Brazilian Martial Art. Right from the beginning I loved the music, songs and stories of how this art came into existence by African people taken from their homes and shipped off to Brazil to be sold into a life of slavery and abuse and how the Capoeira kept them going through dance, music and skill. In 2015 I relocated to Berlin where I began to train in Grupo Gingado Baiano under Mestre Bilu Bahia a Capoeira Master from Salvador da Bahia. During this time, I was introduced to one of Mestre Bilu’s childhood friends Mestre Ninha (Joel Castro) of Grupo Gingado Baiano who was in Germany to assist with our annual Batizado the Christening of new students and also our troca de Corda the changing of belts.
I was soon in awe of the energy, the focus, the teaching styles and techniques of Mestre Ninha so much so that I decided to travel to Brazil to study under him for 3 months in 2016.
My time there also helped me learn Portuguese, so I could communicate better with the people of Brazil.
During my time in Salvador I trained with Mestre Ninha and his students regularly in Nordeste de Amaralinha the neighbourhood where he is from. The first day I arrived to train the bemused and confused looks I got from the other students looking at this German standing in a Capoeira uniform with a funny accent trying to speak Portuguese was something else but soon I developed a great relationship with them and was welcomed into the environment as one of their own. To be present, experience and take part in Mestre Ninhas classes is special. The time, energy, focus and devotion he gives the students is truly inspirational. These kids are everything to Mestre Ninha he does not only want to teach them the Capoeira, he wants them to follow the right path in life by giving them direction, purpose, strength and discipline as a father would for his children.
It is a small world, as my Portuguese improved I was able to hold good and interesting conversations with Mestra Ninha, one that sticks with me is when I found out that his son was living in Ireland, a country where most of family live, to make things even more interesting his son was living in Navan County Meath which is located very close to my family based in Kingscourt County Cavan. Upon returning to Germany I decided to contact Mestre Ninhas son Jeanderson Castro, we talked about meeting when I next visited my family in Ireland and that’s exactly what we did. We met in a shopping centre I use to visit when I was a child, I will never forget sitting having coffee speaking with Jeanderson in Portuguese when every now and again someone stopping by to say hi to him and listening to him converse back in a thick Irish accent, even now I laugh thinking about it!
After this I felt my bond with Mestre Ninha got even stronger, I had just met the only son he has left, who he is so proud of in the country my family is from. After continuing my friendship with Mestre Ninha and Jeanderson over the last number of years and meeting them many times in Ireland, Brazil and Germany I have developed a strong and important relationship with them both.
For the next 6 months I will be living, working and training in Salvador.
My dream is it to raise some money to support Mestre Ninha's amazing work he does everyday...
The money will be used first of all to buy some new Capoeira Uniforms for his Students and to organize a trip to Chapada Diamantina(Brazil) to visit and support the Batizado of our Group there at the end of October.
The money will also be used to organize a Batizado for the Students here in Salvador - Rent a venue, buy Cordas (Belts), make an Eventshirt, organize some food for the guests etc. etc.
I was soon in awe of the energy, the focus, the teaching styles and techniques of Mestre Ninha so much so that I decided to travel to Brazil to study under him for 3 months in 2016.
My time there also helped me learn Portuguese, so I could communicate better with the people of Brazil.
During my time in Salvador I trained with Mestre Ninha and his students regularly in Nordeste de Amaralinha the neighbourhood where he is from. The first day I arrived to train the bemused and confused looks I got from the other students looking at this German standing in a Capoeira uniform with a funny accent trying to speak Portuguese was something else but soon I developed a great relationship with them and was welcomed into the environment as one of their own. To be present, experience and take part in Mestre Ninhas classes is special. The time, energy, focus and devotion he gives the students is truly inspirational. These kids are everything to Mestre Ninha he does not only want to teach them the Capoeira, he wants them to follow the right path in life by giving them direction, purpose, strength and discipline as a father would for his children.
It is a small world, as my Portuguese improved I was able to hold good and interesting conversations with Mestra Ninha, one that sticks with me is when I found out that his son was living in Ireland, a country where most of family live, to make things even more interesting his son was living in Navan County Meath which is located very close to my family based in Kingscourt County Cavan. Upon returning to Germany I decided to contact Mestre Ninhas son Jeanderson Castro, we talked about meeting when I next visited my family in Ireland and that’s exactly what we did. We met in a shopping centre I use to visit when I was a child, I will never forget sitting having coffee speaking with Jeanderson in Portuguese when every now and again someone stopping by to say hi to him and listening to him converse back in a thick Irish accent, even now I laugh thinking about it!
After this I felt my bond with Mestre Ninha got even stronger, I had just met the only son he has left, who he is so proud of in the country my family is from. After continuing my friendship with Mestre Ninha and Jeanderson over the last number of years and meeting them many times in Ireland, Brazil and Germany I have developed a strong and important relationship with them both.
For the next 6 months I will be living, working and training in Salvador.
My dream is it to raise some money to support Mestre Ninha's amazing work he does everyday...
The money will be used first of all to buy some new Capoeira Uniforms for his Students and to organize a trip to Chapada Diamantina(Brazil) to visit and support the Batizado of our Group there at the end of October.
The money will also be used to organize a Batizado for the Students here in Salvador - Rent a venue, buy Cordas (Belts), make an Eventshirt, organize some food for the guests etc. etc.
Organizer
Fiona Golfinha Carolan
Organizer
Berlin
