Mestre Paulão

Paulo Sérgio da Silva, known as Mestre Paulão, was born on June 16, 1955, in Rio de Janeiro. He began practicing capoeira at age eight in the early 1960s, introduced to the art by his older brother Luiz Américo da Silva, who would become famous as Mestre Mintirinha. The brothers trained on Rua Ozéas Mota in their neighborhood, later continuing at the Milton Ribeiro gymnasium in Olaria and Club Santo Antônio de Ramos. Paulão considers Mintirinha his "first and only master."

On January 20, 1965, the brothers joined three other young capoeiristas—Piriquito, Khorvo, and Silas—to co-found the "Associação de Capoeira Kapoarte Filhos de Obaluaê," one of the pioneering capoeira organizations in Rio de Janeiro. The group began classes at the Milton Ribeiro academy on Rua Etelvina in the Olaria neighborhood. The "K" in Kapoarte references the Kimbundu language, reflecting the group's emphasis on African heritage.

Seven years later, on May 5, 1972, Paulão founded his own organization: Grupo Muzenza de Capoeira. The group's name originated from Candomblé de Angola, referencing a ceremonial dance for newly initiated women—the term "Muzenza" was also used by his brother Mintirinha's teacher, Mestre Canjiquinha, for one of the toques he created. Muzenza's initial philosophy centered on "a capoeira school with a more traditional style," and the group quickly gained prominence in Rio's competitive capoeira scene.

In July 1975, Grupo Muzenza participated in the 1st Individual Carioca Capoeira Championship, where member Márcio de Freitas Matias achieved runner-up placement in the average weight category. The group continued competing successfully in the 1976 Capoeira Interclub Tournament. During this period, Paulão was recognized as a Capoeira Master, receiving multiple credentials from Brazilian capoeira and boxing confederations and state federations between 1973 and 1978.

Paulão's dedication to capoeira also shaped his educational path. As a state school student, he earned a scholarship through his performance as a university athlete in a capoeira competition, ultimately obtaining a Bachelor of Law degree.

In October 1975, one of Paulão's most promising students, Antônio Carlos de Menezes—known as Burguês, a nickname Paulão himself bestowed—migrated to Curitiba in the southern state of Paraná. Burguês had impressed Paulão when he and his friends, unable to afford tuition, collected and sold recyclables to pay for three months of classes upfront. In Curitiba, Burguês established a southern branch of Muzenza that would eventually become the group's new center.

In 1978, Paulão made a pivotal decision: he stepped back from actively teaching Grupo Muzenza to dedicate himself entirely to his military career. He had joined the Brazilian Navy as a marine, and over the next 31 years of service, he rose to the rank of Capitão de Corveta (senior officer) before retiring to the reserve. Throughout his military career, however, he never abandoned capoeira—he taught the art to everyone around him in state schools, in the Armed Forces, at universities, and to society at large.

The transfer of leadership to Mestre Burguês proved transformative. Under Burguês's direction, Grupo Muzenza expanded dramatically, eventually reaching 26 Brazilian states and 61 countries, with over 700 registered instructors and an estimated 25,000 members. While Paulão remained the recognized founder, Burguês became the organization's president and public face, developing a modernized methodology with 22 standardized choreographed sequences.

In recognition of his contributions to capoeira, Paulão received numerous honors. In 2010, he was listed among the habilitados (qualified candidates) for IPHAN's "Prêmio Viva Meu Mestre" award, which honors capoeira masters aged 55 or older whose life trajectory has fundamentally contributed to the transmission and continuity of capoeira in Brazil. He serves as a member of the Masters Council of Rio de Janeiro, created by IPHAN, and was awarded the title of Doutor Honoris Causa in a ceremony recognizing his work in Niterói and adjacent municipalities since the 1970s.

His military career was equally decorated, earning the Medalha ao Mérito Marinheiro (1983 and 1993), Medalha ao Mérito Pedro Ernesto (1997), and Medalha ao Mérito Tiradentes (1998).

In 2017, Paulão recorded Capoeira Muzenza Volume 10, titled "Maestro Paulão," featuring collaborations with Mestre Gegê and Mestre Burguês. He had previously collaborated on a CD with Mestre Gegê, whose Grupo Maragojipe de Capoeira had long musical ties with Muzenza.

On August 7, 2022, Paulão lost his brother, teacher, and lifelong partner in capoeira when Mestre Mintirinha passed away. Paulão wrote the primary obituary tribute, referring to Mintirinha as his "blood brother" and honoring the man who had first introduced him to capoeira more than sixty years earlier.

Today, Mestre Paulão continues to advocate for the professionalization of capoeira masters and the safeguarding of the art. His legacy extends through the thousands of practitioners trained under the Muzenza organization he founded, and through his documented contributions to the formalization and recognition of capoeira as Brazilian cultural heritage.