Grupo Engenho

Objective

The objective of Grupo Engenho is to promote health by spreading capoeira and Brazilian culture. We have certain special focus areas: social interaction, cultural exchange projects, development of children and (re-)unification of people.

Explanation logo

The logo of our capoeira group, Grupo Engenho, has symbolical significations. In the centre the ‘Engenho’ is shown; the sugar cane mill. Mestre Baiano chose this specific logo out of respect and honour to the Afro-Brazilians and Africans. Also, the symbol stands for the extreme circumstances during slavery and respect for Afro-Brazilian traditions and culture. This is also shown by showing the berimau and the atabaque in the logo. Music and dance play an important role in Grupo Engenho.

Mestre Baiano

Grupo Engenho was founded in 1971 in Rio de Janeiro by Edvaldo dos Santos Reis, Mestre Baiano. Mestre Baiano is an aluno of Mestre Canjiquinha. It seems to be appropriate to tell a bit about Washinton Bruno da Sliva, Mestre Canjiquinha (1925-1994). He was known as A alegria da capoeira (The smile of capoeira). He was always joking around in the roda and was a well respected berimbau player (creator of toques Muzenza, Samango and Samba de Roda). He improvised with songs like only a few could. For more information about Mestre Canjiquinha download this document.

Mestre Baiano in roda in Cidade Baixa,
Salvador, Brazilië 2005

Show Grupo Engenho from Mestre Baiano (around ’80)

Mestre Grandão

My name is Antonio Marcos dos A. Reis, but in the world of capoeira I am known as Mestre Grandão. I was basically born in the capoeira roda. When I started with capoeira I was to young to realize it. I started capoeira with my dad Edvaldo dos Santos Reis, Mestre Baiano, and his group ‘Grupo Engenho’. Untill my 15th year I trained with Mestre Baiano and did many shows and demostrations. I stopped for five years and continued when I was 20 years old; one of my best decisions. My dad already moved to Rio de Janeiro and I lived in Salvador. I started to train at the Associação de Capoeira Mestre Bimba with Professor Cabeludo in 1992. When I was 21 I went with my dad to Italy to give capoeira classes and workshops.

Mestre Grandão 17 jaar	Mestre Grandão 17 jaar in roda from Mestre Vermelho 27

Afterwards I helped Mestre Cabeludo with the foundation of Grupo Porto da Barra. My capoeira game improved a lot in this period and I participated and won several ‘Sequence tournaments, and was invited as judge afterwards at this same tournament. In addition to these great experiences I got invited to spread capoeira in Europe (France, Belgium, Holland and Germany) in 1996. At the start of 1997 I joined the group of my father again. I started to teach capoeira in Villa de Abrantes, a village close to Salvador, Bahia. Then, it was may 1997. From that moment on I was very active in organizing events, including; batizado’s, women events, music events, television interviews and shows and projects with children. Nowadays, Grupo Engenho’s batizado’s in Salvador are well recognized in the capoeira world, which attracts more then 70 mestres from all over Brazil. Every year its a wonderful sight and I am thankful to all those that show up each year. We, Grupo Engenho, are very active with projects with children, to give them a better future. Furthermore, I would like to mention the emphasize we put on the importance of women in capoeira by organising special events honouring women in capoeira.
Besides this, we also have a focus on children projects. I am part of several governmental projects (social: Secretaria de Sporte e Lazer and social/cultural: Secretaria de Ação Social Coordenação de Cultura). With the cooperation of others I have been able to spread capoeira and help more than 1000 children in Bahia.
To complete my story about capoeira activities, I finish off with the work that I coordinate of other capoeira teachers from Grupo Engenho in Brazil and other countries (Spain, Italy, Argentina and Holland). As a crown on my work I received the mestre (master) title in 2006 from Mestre Baiano. A part of this formation is showed in the video section.

Prof. Baianinho, Monitor Vitamina, Mestre Grandão en Instrutora Girassol,
Villa de Abrantes, Brazilië 2005

Teachers from Bahia

Grupo Engenho has more teachers that are realising great things. Only the teachers that are part from Grupo Engenho BA (Bahia respectively) will be mentioned. Our group consists out of the following teachers:

Professores: Sabará, Baianinho and Itapoan. Professor Baianinho and Sabará both teach in Salvador, Bahia; Professor Itapoan teaches in Spain.

Formados: Coral, Patuá en Mantena. Coral and Mantena both teach in Salvador, Bahia; Formado Patuá teaches in Spain.

Instrutores: Cachorrão, Girassol, Buninho, Brau, Vampi, Peroba, Querreira, Ceara, Bichão, Aranha, Ba en Sarado. Instrutor Brau teaches in Spain; Instrutora Guerreira in Italy; Bichão in Argentina and Buninho in Greece. The rest of the instrutores all teach in Brazil.

Monitores: Capacete, Gia, Formiga, Kuntakinte, Corvinho, Pato Rocco, Azulão, Curió, Pigmeu, Shock, Pica Pau and Vitamina. Monitor Corvinho teaches in Italy; Curió in Rio de Janeiro and I, Vitamina, teach in The Hague, Holland.

More information about these and other teachers of Grupo Engenho will be posted here in the coming months. For now you can always contact me, Vitamina