About the Capoeira Genealogy

Why this project exists

The history of Capoeira lives in oral tradition, scattered across personal memories, group websites, books and academic papers. Too often, this knowledge remains isolated — accessible only to those who know where to look or whom to ask.

This genealogy project brings that scattered information together in one accessible place, preserving the rich lineages and relationships that connect the Capoeira community across generations and continents. It is a service to the community — not a replacement for the living knowledge held by mestres and practitioners.

How the data was compiled

We built a research pipeline to gather and synthesize information from publicly available sources: group websites, academic publications, news articles, interviews and documented events. Entries then pass through a review and curation workflow. Each profile has content in Portuguese and English, with citations to its sources.

Some information comes from people themselves, such as a practitioner who adds a relationship in the app. We note when a claim comes from someone with a personal stake in it, and we do not treat a source that only repeats another as independent confirmation.

We recognize this approach has limitations. It can bring existing information together, but it cannot replace the firsthand knowledge of those who lived this history. Dates may be approximate, relationships may be incomplete, and nuances may be lost. That is why community participation is essential.

Data quality and accuracy

We do not claim this data is complete or perfect. Every profile is a starting point, pre-filled with what could be gathered from public sources. We expect — and welcome — corrections.

Each relationship and date carries a confidence level and shows how precise it is. This transparency lets you judge how reliable a piece of information is, and see where it needs improving. How to read the records explains every date form, confidence level and relation.

Privacy and your information

We record only what helps document Capoeira transmission — practitioners and their lineage, teachers and students, groups, titles, styles, and where and when people were active in the art. We deliberately leave out personal information that is not part of that story: we do not publish private contact details or home addresses, we do not include children, and we do not list family members who are not themselves part of Capoeira.

If you — or someone you represent — are featured and would like a correction, added context or removal, write to us at support@quilombo.net and we will review and respond. No account is needed. The full notice is under Privacy and removal requests.

Claiming and managing profiles

Are you featured here? You can claim your profile by creating a user account. Once your claim is approved, you become the steward of that profile and can keep its information accurate and current.

Family members, senior students and anyone with a legitimate interest can apply to manage a profile, to preserve that person’s legacy appropriately. Group leaders can claim their group’s profile. Every claim is reviewed before it is approved, which protects the data against unauthorized changes.

This project exists because of the community, for the community. If you see errors or have information to contribute, we want to hear from you. Together, we can build a more complete picture of Capoeira’s rich heritage.

Licence and attributions

No licence has been set for the genealogy texts yet; licence information will follow.

To cite a record, use the "Cite this page" section of its page.

Contains information from OpenStreetMap, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Includes GeoNames data, CC-BY 4.0. Alterations to the OpenStreetMap data are published at the alterations file.