Centro Cultural Senzala

The Senzala group was founded in the sixties. It went on always seeking growth through straight contacts with other groups of Capoeira and intensive treatment searching roots with the "old league" of Capoeira, spending long periods in Salvador, Bahia.

In the early sixties the group subscribed itself at the championship "Berimbau de Ouro" and surprisingly won the contest that year and the two years to follow. Besides maturity, the group won respect and national reputation. Later on, the group split up, with its members teaching in different schools, reuniting anytime there is a graduation of new Mestres or new students.

Centro Cultural Senzala de Capoeira is formed by Mestre Peixinho and his students. Its purpose is to research and promote Capoeira and other manifestations of the Brazilian culture, and also to work as a centre of formation, and recycling for the teachers that wish to work the Capoeira in all its different ways (fight, dance, art, etc.) towards the physical, intellectual, emotional and socio-cultural development of the individual.

We believe that the educational process and consciousness of our people is tied to the question of the rescuing of our cultural identity, and that is why we go after our roots. We also believe that Capoeira brings upon its essence the elements that can make us fulfill our goals.

Nowadays, the group is expanding thoughout Brazil and some countries of Europe and the United States, and although the group has had thousands of students during all these years, it has only formed just over ten Mestres. And this is the main reason for the high technical quality and standards, tied to dedication and consciousness of the historical values of Capoeira, which made Senzala one of the most famous groups in Brazil.

Capoeira plays an important role in the strengthening of the "popular wisdom" and, therefore, in the formation of the ideology of the Brazilian people.

The object of this enterprise is the search of new cultural values and the understanding of their origin and history.