Mestre Peixinho

Marcelo Azevedo Guimarães, known as Mestre Peixinho, was born on December 20, 1947, in Vitória, capital of Espírito Santo, Brazil. He would become one of the most influential figures in modern capoeira—a master whose work spanned four continents and helped transform capoeira from a local Brazilian practice into a global phenomenon.

In 1964, Peixinho moved to Rio de Janeiro where he began practicing capoeira under Cláudio Danadinho, a young paraibano from Brasília who had trained with Mestre Arraia. The following year, 1965, he connected with brothers Paulo and Rafael Flores, Bahians who had studied with both Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha in Salvador. Together with other young capoeiristas—Gato, Gil Velho, Garrincha, Itamar, Sorriso, and Preguiça—they formed the nucleus of what would become Grupo Senzala, training together on the terrace of the Flores brothers' apartment in the Laranjeiras neighborhood.

In 1966, during a demonstration at a German Club, the group officially adopted the name "Grupo Senzala"—a reference to the slave quarters where enslaved Africans were held, connecting their art to Brazil's history of resistance. The following year, Peixinho began teaching and the group entered the prestigious Berimbau de Ouro tournament. To everyone's surprise, they won—and repeated the victory in 1968 and 1969, permanently claiming the trophy and establishing Senzala's reputation nationwide.

Peixinho and Itamar recognized an opportunity. Seeing the success of their collective work, they decided to rent a space in Travessa Angrense in Copacabana. In 1974, Peixinho opened his famous academy there—a space that would become legendary in capoeira history. For 22 years, the Travessa Angrense served as the headquarters of Centro Cultural Senzala, where "many bambas passed through and were trained". It was there that Mestre Elias first discovered Senzala in 1976, immediately beginning training under Mestres Peixinho and Itamar. Elias would go on to receive his corda vermelha in 1990 and spearhead capoeira's expansion in France.

That same year, 1974, Peixinho was formally recognized as Mestre—the highest title in capoeira.

Beyond teaching, Peixinho pursued formal education. He graduated in Physical Education from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in the late 1970s, having previously studied Administration. He taught capoeira at UFRJ from 1973 to 1980 and at UERJ (State University of Rio de Janeiro) from 1979 to 1983, bringing academic legitimacy to the art.

Peixinho also brought capoeira to the stage. In 1969, he performed at the prestigious Sala Cecília Meireles, and in 1971 at the Teatro Municipal—Rio de Janeiro's most important cultural venues. In 1977, he participated in an international festival on the Île de Réunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean.

In 1987, Peixinho became a pioneer of capoeira's international expansion. Along with Mestres Garrincha, Sorriso, and Toni Vargas, he spent six months in Europe, organizing workshops and the First European Capoeira Encounter in Paris—the first of its kind. From 1990 onward, he organized the Scandinavian Capoeira Encounters, establishing a framework for the art's systematic growth across Northern Europe.

By the end of his career, Peixinho coordinated an extensive network of professors who taught in various Brazilian cities (including Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, and Curitiba) and across European, North American, and Australasian locations. He trained numerous mestres who carry his lineage today, including Mestre Marrom (who received his red cord from Peixinho and founded Ngoma Capoeira Angola), Mestre Elias (who leads Senzala in Strasbourg), Mestre Arruda, and Mestre Chão.

Peixinho was also renowned as an exceptional instrument maker. He crafted berimbaus and atabaques with a sound and quality that musicians and masters worldwide sought. According to those who knew him, no one has since succeeded in replicating the quality of his instruments.

As a composer, Peixinho authored the song "Princesa Isabel", adding to capoeira's musical corpus.

Mestre Acordeon described Peixinho as possessing "exemplary simplicity", noting that he "refined his art to speak little, an energy quiet but always present". Despite his exceptional technique and speed—he was known for his ability to anticipate his opponent's moves—Peixinho avoided violence and made no enemies.

In his final years, Peixinho fought a long battle against cancer. He passed away in the early morning of May 16, 2011, in Rio de Janeiro. The news of his death sent shockwaves through the capoeira world, separating master from student, friend from friend, brother from brother.

Today, Grupo Senzala commemorates his legacy through the "Iê Viva Meu Mestre" event, held every two years in his honor. Peixinho is remembered as one of the founders of Grupo Senzala, a reference for capoeiristas worldwide, and the mestre who did "the most significant work" within the organization that revolutionized capoeira teaching.