Mestre Levi

Levi Tavares de Souza, known as Mestre Levi, was born in Campos, a city in the northern region of Rio de Janeiro state, but grew up in Macaé. He is one of the principal references of capoeira in Rio de Janeiro, with more than 50 years dedicated to the art.

Levi learned capoeira from Mestre Khorvo, one of the five co-founders of the Kapoarte group (established January 20, 1965, alongside Mintirinha, Paulão, Piriquito, and Silas). The original name of Kapoarte was "Capoeira Association Kapoarte Sons of Obaluaê", using "K" as a reference to the Kimbundu language. This connection places Levi within one of the oldest continuous capoeira lineages in Rio de Janeiro.

One of Mestre Levi's great childhood friends was Manoel da Cruz Vieira, who would become Mestre Dengo, a principal figure in spreading capoeira through the "lakes region" and north of Rio de Janeiro state. As Dengo recalls: "with him I began, really, to learn the art of playing capoeira. He had the patience to teach me how to ginga and show me the first steps". In 1974, Levi—who at that time had not yet received the title of mestre—created the first capoeira group of Macaé together with Dengo and other friends. The group was called "Silêncio com a Fera" (Silence with the Beast). However, the group disbanded shortly after when Levi relocated to Duque de Caxias.

In Caxias, Levi established himself as a central figure in the local capoeira community. When speaking of capoeira in Caxias, he is named as one of the "mestres imprescindíveis" (indispensable masters), alongside Mestre Gegê and Mestre Raimundo. These three traditions have built remarkable cultural initiatives including the Museu Vivo da Capoeira (Living Museum of Capoeira), based mainly in the second and third districts of Duque de Caxias.

Levi's knowledge of Rio de Janeiro capoeira history is deep. According to him, there is a consensus that four capoeira lineages were the main influences in the formation of contemporary capoeira in Rio de Janeiro: those of Artur Emídio, Paraná, Mário Buscapé, and Roque. As he explains, these four "started to work in closed spaces of academies, introduced uniforms, organisation, etc. From these four the majority of capoeira masters here in Rio de Janeiro derived".

Today, Mestre Levi serves as president of the Liga Municipal de Capoeira de Duque de Caxias. He is also a member of the Conselho Municipal de Defesa dos Direitos do Negro e Promoção da Igualdade Racial e Étnica de Duque de Caxias (COMDEDINE-PIR) and sits on the Conselho Superior de Mestres (Superior Council of Masters) of the Federação Internacional de Capoeira (FICA). His specialization is in "Fundamentos, Rituais e Tradições" (Fundamentals, Rituals and Traditions)—the philosophical and ceremonial aspects of capoeira that connect it to its African and Brazilian roots.

On December 17, 2023, the Municipal Chamber of Duque de Caxias held a solemn tribute to capoeira, honoring masters and teachers. Mestre Levi was among those invited to compose the main table at this ceremony, recognized as "one of the oldest and most active capoeiristas in the city". As he noted at the event: "I have more than 50 years within capoeira"—emphasizing that while capoeira is practiced in more than 200 countries, masters rarely receive official recognition for their international representation.

In May 2025, Levi participated in the "Integração Fluminense de Capoeira Angola e Cultura" event at the Museu da História e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira (MUHCAB) in Rio's Pequena África region. He delivered a lecture titled "Capoeiras no RJ: uma herança de disputas e solidariedade" (Capoeiras in RJ: a legacy of disputes and solidarity) alongside Prof. Dr. Flávio Gomes from UFRJ's History Institute—demonstrating his continued role as a researcher and historian of capoeira.