Perhaps the oldest living capoeira master in the world
Mestre João Grande sat on his preferred chair covered in a black and white fabric in front of the glass door of his large capoeira studio. The sun always hits that spot, and a little table serves as his dining place. A suitcase was still open, and his clothes were spread all around. He’d just returned from Chile and was repacking for a trip to Mexico.
“I’m an adventurer, I like to wander the world,” he said in Portuguese.
He was born João Oliveira dos Santos, in Brazil, 87 years ago. He is a capoeira master, a legendary figure in the world of capoeira and a beloved teacher. João Grande started playing capoeira in 1950, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, where he was born.
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines dance, martial arts, music, and the Portuguese language. It has roots in Africa but was created almost 500 years ago by Afro-Brazilian slaves working on sugar cane plantations in Brazil. It was conceived as a form of self-defense disguised as a dance. The northeastern state of Bahia is still the epicenter of capoeira life in Brazil.
Starting in the mid-20th century, capoeira became one of the major cultural exports from Brazil and Mestre João Grande was one of its main champions. As a young capoeirista, Mestre João Grande toured all over the world to show the art of capoeira and to spread its teachings.
He was a disciple of Mestre Pastinha, one of the creators of the Angola capoeira style. Angola is played very close to the ground, the pace is slower than other styles of the game and it has a more dance-like feel, as well as some theatrical features.
The Mestre settled in New York City in 1990 and opened his first academy on 14th Street, in downtown Manhattan. He moved to the present location on Frederick Douglas Avenue, in the heart of Harlem, eight years ago.
Every Sunday afternoon, from 2pm until night, a roda (a circle) takes place at the Capoeira Angola Center of Mestre João Grande. People from all over the world come to the center to engage with other capoeiristas and, especially, for the privilege of practicing with Mestre. Unless, of course, he is traveling.
Despite his advanced age, Mestre João Grande is still a globetrotter. In late October and November 2019, he was invited to conduct workshops in Santiago de Chile, Mexico City and Hamburg, Germany.
“We walk around the world and we get to know a lot of things, a lot of people. You learn a lot.”
Every class starts with a music lesson. Capoeiristas learn to sing in Portuguese no matter what language they speak. Mestre João Grande also teaches his students how to play the berimbau, an instrument built of a curved bow, one thick string and a gourd at the bottom. The sound of the berimbau conducts the rhythm of the capoeira game.
Due to his work and dedication to spreading the art of capoeira, in 2001 Mestre João Grande was awarded a National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellowship.
Mestre João Grande is most proud when he can help someone overcome a difficult situation. He believes capoeira practice and lifestyle have saved many a life. And he advises:
“Smoking, drinking and white sugar? All of that is poison.”
Photographs and interviews with the Mestre during the Fall of 2019.