Mestre Laércio

Laércio dos Anjos Borges was born in Salvador, Bahia in 1966. His discovery of capoeira came through childhood adventure: in 1976, at age 10, while hunting birds and playing in the woods near his home in Fazenda Grande do Retiro, his friend Samuel showed him the path to Mestre Caiçara's academy. His parents disapproved of his decision to practice capoeira, so beginning in 1978, at age 12, he would cross through the woods at 6 PM to train in secret, sometimes returning at night and pretending he had been playing with friends on his street.

At Mestre Caiçara's academy and at the countless rodas of Salvador, Laércio encountered the great mestres who shaped capoeira at that time: Caiçara, Canjiquinha, Waldemar, Curé, Fernanito, Boca Rica, Zacarias, João Grande, João Pequeno, Papo Amarelo, Bola Sete, Bobó, and Lua de Bobó. Under Caiçara's guidance, he developed rapidly and began leading some training sessions himself at the academy, as Caiçara—by then elderly—could no longer climb to the rooftop where training took place, and his son Toinho often did not appear.

After Mestre Pastinha's death in 1981, Laércio moved to the Quinta das Beatas neighborhood (now Cosme de Farias), where he met Roberval at a roda at the D. João Pedro dos Santos school. The two became fast friends, united by their devotion to Capoeira Angola. In 1984, in conversation with Roberval and Cabore, they decided to found a group to rescue, maintain, and preserve the roots of Capoeira Angola. On March 20, 1984, they created Grupo de Capoeira Filhos de Angola (GCFA)—with a fourth co-founder, Rosalvo—naming it in homage to Mestre Pastinha, considered the father of Capoeira Angola.

During a critical period when Capoeira Angola was at risk of extinction, the GCFA was invited by Mestre Cobra Mansa to join GCAP with Mestre Moraes, who had recently returned from Rio de Janeiro. The Filhos de Angola members spent three years training with Mestre João Pequeno, two years with Mestre Canjiquinha, considerable time with Mestre Boca Rica, and had the opportunity to attend Mestre João Grande's Sunday classes at Forte Santo Antônio within the GCAP space. From Mestre Moraes, they learned the cultural and musical value of the roots of Capoeira Angola.

Eventually, GCFA felt the need for their own space and began sharing a room at Forte Santo Antônio with Mestre Boca Rica for two years. Fighting for the dignity of Capoeira Angola, Laércio and Roberval, together with mestres Curió, Bom Cabrito, Cabore, Baixinho, Augusto, and others, founded the Associação Brasileira de Capoeira Angola (ABCA) and the Casa da Capoeira Angola in Salvador in 1987. The ABCA's first elected board included Mestre João Pequeno as President, Paulo dos Anjos as Vice-President, Mário Bom Cabrito as Treasurer, Nô as Technical Director, and Renê as Social Director.

Before moving to Europe, Laércio began social work with underprivileged children in the outskirts of Salvador, focusing on appreciation of the roots and origins of Capoeira Angola. In September 1993, he moved to Europe with the objective of spreading Capoeira Angola. In the beginning of his European work, he conducted workshops with Mestre Rogério, Mestre Sapo, and Rosalvo (who had arrived in Europe in 1989 as the first angoleiro on the continent).

Mestre Laércio settled in Berlin, where he established himself as a teacher and international coordinator. He was subsequently invited to teach in England, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Russia, establishing active GCFA groups in each country. Today, he coordinates 25 nuclei of GCFA spread throughout Europe and Asia, dedicating his life to teaching the art, knowledge, philosophy, and awareness of Capoeira Angola.