Mestre Izael

Mestre Izael Teixeira is the founder of the Associação Cultural e Desportiva Pena de Ouro, the oldest active capoeira association in São Carlos, São Paulo. He has dedicated his life to teaching and preserving Traditional Capoeira Regional in the style created by Mestre Bimba.

With the Pena de Ouro group in São Carlos, Mestre Izael keeps alive the culture of Traditional Capoeira Regional, sharing his experience and knowledge as one of the guardians of the fundamentals of this capoeira tradition. His teaching is characterized by devotion, knowledge, and resistance—qualities that mark the stories and practices of this mestre who "gingas with life to the sound of the berimbau."

In 2011, a documentary film titled "Mestre Izael" was released, directed by Marta Kawamura. The 25-minute biographical film presents aspects of his life and history, showing him as an important figure for São Carlos culture (cultura sancarlense) and for capoeira in the state of São Paulo. The documentary establishes central themes and proposes scenes that structure the audiovisual narrative, leaving space for Mestre Izael himself to guide part of the film, resulting in an intimate and sincere portrait.

Mestre Izael has been an influential figure in the development of other capoeira practitioners. Mestre Faísca, now the designated successor of Mestre João Pequeno de Pastinha, sought out Mestre Izael's mentorship in São Carlos before eventually turning to Capoeira Angola. Similarly, Mestre Camarão (of Centro de Capoeira São Salomão) counts his encounters with Mestre Izael among those fundamental to his broader understanding of capoeira and its responsibilities.

While Mestre Faísca eventually departed to pursue Capoeira Angola, Mestre Izael remained committed to recovering and preserving the Traditional Capoeira Regional of Mestre Bimba. This distinction places him among a very small number of mestres worldwide—including Mestre Nenel (Bimba's son) and Mestre Deputado—who practice the "eight sequences, the throws, and the roda" as Bimba originally taught them.

On December 12, 2024, the São Carlos City Council held a ceremonial session to bestow upon Mestre Izael the title of "Cidadão Benemérito" (Distinguished Citizen) of São Carlos, in recognition of his numerous contributions to the population of the city.