Mestre Gilberto Flores

Gilberto Flores is one of three brothers from Bahia who co-founded Grupo Senzala, one of the most influential capoeira organizations in history. Along with his brothers Paulo and Rafael Flores, Gilberto helped establish the foundations of what would become a global capoeira movement.

The Flores family moved from Salvador, Bahia to Rio de Janeiro, but the brothers maintained deep ties to their homeland. During school vacations, they would return to Salvador for capoeira training. Multiple sources confirm that all three brothers trained with Mestre Bimba, the founder of Capoeira Regional, and Mestre Pastinha, the guardian of Capoeira Angola—exposure to both major traditions that would shape the Senzala methodology.

In 1963, the brothers began organizing weekly training sessions on the terrace of their apartment building in the Laranjeiras neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. These informal gatherings quickly attracted local youth, including Fernando Albuquerque (later Mestre Gato), who witnessed Paulo's fighting abilities at a party and sought to learn from him. The terrace sessions grew to include Claudio Danadinho, Peixinho, Itamar, Garrincha, Sorriso, Preguiça, Gil Velho (Gato's brother), and others who would become the founding nucleus of Grupo Senzala.

In 1966, during a demonstration at the German Club (Clube Germânico), brother Paulo Flores suggested the name "Grupo Senzala"—referencing the slave quarters where enslaved Africans were held on Brazilian plantations, a powerful political and cultural statement connecting capoeira to Brazil's history of resistance and liberation.

The group achieved national recognition by winning the Berimbau de Ouro tournament three consecutive years (1967-1969), permanently securing the trophy. The founding members, including Gilberto, developed an innovative teaching methodology that balanced systematic training sequences with student creativity and spontaneity. They pioneered open rodas where all capoeiristas were welcome, fostering continuous knowledge exchange.

Unlike his brother Rafael, who served as leader and spokesperson for approximately 20 years before founding Grupo Senzala "Patrimônio dos Pretos" in Espírito Santo, and unlike Paulo who remains among the active cordas vermelhas, Gilberto's post-founding trajectory is less documented. He is listed as a founding mestre but not among the 17 currently active red cords, and his current status remains unclear.

The Senzala methodology pioneered by the Flores brothers and their companions has influenced most major capoeira organizations worldwide. The group has graduated over 96 mestres and maintains a presence across all continents, making it one of the most successful and far-reaching capoeira organizations in history.