Mestre Pedro - Capoeira
Hero of the Alagados
The extraordinary capoeira master Pedro Pé de Ferro (”iron-foot”) is revered for his amazing physical control and discipline, and he has accomplished legendary feats, such as having a loaded pickup truck drive over his chest. He is the founder of the Associação de Capoeira Filhos do Sol Nascente do Salvador, which operates out of a roofless, burned-out building, originally a small movie theater, that he occupied in 1990. Located between the underclass neighborhoods of Uruguai and the Alagados, his center caters to hundreds of children and young adults. His project Ensinando à Viver (Teaching to Live) forces his kids to remain in school and forbids them from taking drugs or joining gangs. The father of ten children, Mestre Pedro is a true hero in his community and a powerful source of pride, embodying the most noble traditions of Afro-Brazilian culture. His capoeira troupe, ranging in age from eight to sixty, performs a stunning ritual of twisting and catapulting bodies, berimbaus, drums and spirited chants. For the past four years, the ICBIE has profited from his friendship; he has helped us to recruit many wonderful kids, and our instructors and guests have had the unique opportunity of participating in his lessons.
To learn more about Mestre Pedro and his outstanding work, click on the following links:
Mestre Pedro, Hero of the Alagados on YouTube.
Mestre Pedro Capoeira at ICBIE on YouTube.
Social Capoeira - Arps Gallery in Amsterdam on Squidoo.
Mestre Pedro Photos in the ICBIE Photo Gallery
