Interview with Mestre Ananias

Mestre Ananias is one of the icons of capoeira in So Paulo. At 81 years old, he embodies
the fusion of African heritage with the Brazilian people. He lives capoeira, samba, and
candombl without separating them. Mestre Ananias was born in 1924 in So Felix, a
region of the Bahian Recncavo whose cultural richness merits in-depth study. After
absorbing the culture in which he grew up, in the middle of the 20th century, he moved to
So Paulo after being invited by theater producers. He worked with Plnio Marcos,
Solano Trinidade, and other famous people in all the citys theaters. In 1953, he founded
the most traditional capoeira roda of So Paulo, which takes place in the Praa da
Repblica. This roda grew with the arrival of his peers during this time capoeira really
shows one of its main fundamentals: to integrate disadvantaged classes into society
despite racial and social prejudice.
What is capoeira, mestre?
For me, capoeira is health, it is a sport for real men, as the expression goes! You have
to have courage, behave yourself, accept a challenge. Its not just hitting, like the
capoeiristas do today we have an iron strength; there are people who say its just a
dance, but for me it is the dance of death. Capoeira kills while smiling; within a greeting
comes an attack, dude!!! Capoeira is everything in my life. If it wasnt for capoeira, I
would not have lived to the age I am now.

How and when did you begin practicing capoeira?

When I was 14 years old. Thats the age when you start to feel capoeira in your blood;
before this youre clueless about everything. Thats the age where stories begin, and when
I started to get smart. But Ive been in the middle of this culture since I was really little.
Im from So Flix and Cachoeira.
What can you tell us about the people who taught you capoeira?
Juvncio was the mestre. He was a dock worker who did capoeira on the docks of So
Felix, during the festivals of Igreja de So Deus Menino and Senhor So Flix. The roda
was formed with Joo de Zaz, the brothers Toy and Roxinho, Alvelino and Santos who
were also two brothers, Caial, Estevo who was a ridiculously good capoeirista; he was a
guard at the cigar factory, and so many others that Trara and Caf from Cachoeira
no one gave classes, but the real master was Juvncio, everyone got together and played,
there wasnt this business of finding a mestre. Later, when I went to Salvador, there I
went to Mestre Pastinhas roda around 1940. I lived in the Liberdade neighborhood, and
on Sundays I would go to Mestre Waldemars roda. There was training on Wednesdays
and on Sundays there was the roda to perform for the people, the Americans who went
there to watch us. There was Dorival (Mestre Waldemars brother), Mar, Caiara,
Zacaria, Bom Cabelo, Nag, Ona Preta, Bugalho, and Mucung the berimbau player. In

Salvador, I began to get better at berimbau and in the game with Waldemar, and with time
he gave me the title of contra-mestre after a rigorous testing with the mestres.
Canjiquinha was a great capoeirista, sambista, singer, percussionist; the guy was
complete, I did a show with him here in So Paulo, I met him in Bahia and then here, I
played capoeira with him in shows, but not in the academy. I got my diploma with him,
but in the old days there wasnt this business of diplomas.
Who were your role models when you began to practice capoeira?
Nag and Ona Preta were beautiful, a dance-like game, laughing, goofing off, very
beautiful while the others were tougher. Mar and Trara also had very nice games,
Bom Cabelo and Zacarias, and Waldemar of course was the Mestre, extremely good in
everything. Caiara was devilishly good and Dorival, when those two met each other,
whew!! They were enemies inside the roda and the games were mean. Outside the roda, I
have no idea what their relationship was
What do you think is most important to be a good capoeirista?
You have to be dedicated in order to learn everything in capoeira, from the instruments to
the game. You also have to know how to teach. There is much to learn. Its not just
banging away on the instruments either, there is much to learn
What is the difference between the capoeira of the old days and capoeira today?
Lots of difference comparing the capoeira of the old days with the insolent capoeira of
today hmm! Today its all slow lets put a bit more wood in the fire, shall we? This is
why no one respects capoeira angola. Capoeira angola should be low and high, a lively
game. And theres more theyre making up all this stuff about how capoeira belongs to
the world, it belongs to the world and has no owner just wanting to make money from
nave people. In the old days, the rhythm was lively, the notes were perfectly clear. Today
its a shame, its impossible to understand.
And samba, Mestre, who did you learn with?
With the old guys in Bahia, in the candombl temples, in the samba rodas, we used to do
capoeira and then samba afterwards. Mainly my father, who did everything he was a
man of samba together with his friends who were viola players, with pandeiro, and I was
always hanging around them so I learned.
And your group Garoa do Recncavo, how did it start?
Its very good, I formed it with my students. First we did capoeira, then we started doing
samba, and it just got better and better. The samba that we do is an old style that I learned
when I was a boy, its the hard samba of the Recncavo. And now were making a CD,
which is going to be good.

What would you like to teach to your students?

Everything that is inside me. Now, this also depends on them, you know, and what they
want to learn. Nowadays no one wants to learn anything and I just want my little space
back. The house belongs to all of us, everyone visits and likes it, but until now we are
all demanding our space back.
Where will capoeira be in 20 years?
That depends on the mestres. The way its going now, this anarchy especially in public,
everyone just thinks about being tough. Lets think a little better, for the sake of the
future
Do you have a favorite capoeira song?
All of them, theyre equal, all good.
What do you like to do besides capoeira?
Candombl, I am a priest at the disposition of the orixs, but it has also changed a lot,
even the deities are changed, as well as the songs
Perhaps you could tell us more about your group.
Our group is great. The only thing were lacking is a space, you know? But I depend on
all of you. Theres too much jealousy in capoeira: one person says one thing, another says
something else. We need to be more united.