Mestre Neco

Nivaldo de Siqueira Silva, known throughout the capoeira world as Mestre Neco Pelourinho, was born on April 24, 1955, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He would become one of the most important figures in the implantation of Capoeira Angola outside of Bahia.

Neco began training in Capoeira Angola with Mestre Moraes after Moraes arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1970 for his military service. By July 1975, Neco was part of the group training at Clube Gurilandia in Botafogo, alongside fellow students Braga, Peçanha (later known as Cobra Mansa), Mano, Tete, and others. Moraes emphasized the Angola tradition, sharing knowledge he had learned from "o velho" (Mestre Pastinha) through his own teachers João Grande and João Pequeno.

In December 1975, Neco made a pivotal journey to Salvador with a group that included Moraes, Braga, Marco Aurélio, Zé Carlos, Tete, and Amalha. During this trip, they visited Mestre Pastinha himself. The group remained in Salvador for January, participating in Bonfim festival celebrations featuring Angola roda dancing. This direct connection to the source of Capoeira Angola would profoundly shape Neco's understanding and commitment to the art.

On December 16, 1978, at Parque Lage in Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Neco received the rank of Mestre in a ceremonial advancement alongside his colleagues Braga and José Carlos (Zé Carlos). Marco Aurélio was simultaneously promoted to Contra-Mestre. Mestres Camisa and Preguiça attended as honored guests. These were the first mestres of Capoeira Angola formed outside of Bahia—a historic milestone in the art's evolution.

The founding idea of the Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho (GCAP) originated from Neco. His vision was to unite the Rio mestres—Moraes, Braga, Zé Carlos, and himself—under one organization rather than having them compete individually. According to Neco, this arrangement would strengthen their collective force while maintaining fidelity to Mestre Pastinha's legacy. The group would oppose the Brazilian military government's suppression of African culture and preserve the traditions of Capoeira Angola.

On October 5, 1980, at 3:00 PM at a craft fair in Cosme Velho in Rio's south zone, GCAP was formally founded with a demonstration of capoeira and maculelê. The founding mestres present were Neco, Moraes, Braga, and Zé Carlos, with Contra-Mestres Marco Aurélio and Peçanha. Mestre Braga designed the group's iconic logo—a berimbau and two zebras fighting, symbolizing capoeira's African origins in the n'golo tradition.

In 1982, Mestre Moraes returned to Salvador, bringing Cobra Mansa with him. He left the three young Rio mestres—Neco, Braga, and Zé Carlos—with full autonomy and responsibility to continue his teachings. Before departing, Moraes promoted Marco Aurélio to mestre.

After Moraes' departure, the Rio mestres continued to develop GCAP. By 1986, they were meeting at the Instituto de Pesquisas das Culturas Negras (Institute for Black Culture Research) at Praça Cruz Vermelha. Among their students during this period were future mestres Lumumba, Pedro Edinho, Isac, Armando, Alexandre, Alcir, Severino, Denil, Carlos Alberto, Manoel, and Urubu, as well as women practitioners Teresa, Sonia, and Lucia.

A 1991 video commemorating the Ten Years of Activities of Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho of Rio de Janeiro featured great angoleiros including Mestres Moraes, Neco Pelourinho, Zé Carlos, Braga, Marco Aurélio, Armandinho, Angolinha, Lumumba, Rogério, Valmir, Brinco, Manoel, and others. The video documented rare moments including "Jogo do Dinheiro" (Money Game), featuring games between mestres.

At some point, Neco served as president of GCAP's board of directors, with Braga as secretary and Lumumba as treasurer. At the inauguration of this board, there was a workshop and capoeira angola roda with Mestres Zé Carlos and Marco Aurélio, as well as visiting Mestres Moraes and Cobra Mansa.

Neco's influence extends through his many students. Mestre Brinco (Claudio Luiz Costa Fernandes Couto), born in 1962, started capoeira at the age of 15 when he entered Neco's Capoeira Angola group operating in Copaleme (Leme neighborhood). Contra-Mestra Cristina trained under Neco before becoming a student of Mestre Manoel. Contra-Mestre Marcos (later founder of Ashé Odara group) learned Capoeira Angola from Neco. In Chile, Seba Madeira founded Grupo Só Angola after training under both Neco and Mestre Fred Mussa.

Neco is a founder of the Grupo de Capoeira Angola Só Angola, currently located in the Largo dos Guimarães, Santa Teresa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Together with Mestre Brinco and Mestre Lumumba, he leads ACIMBA (Associação Cultural Ilê Mestre Benedito de Angola), an association that brings together five different capoeira angola groups: Grupo de Capoeira Só Angola, Grupo de Capoeira Angola Volta Ao Mundo, Grupo de Capoeira Angola Gungaê, Grupo de Capoeira Angola Kabula, and Grupo de Capoeira Angola São Bento Pequeno.

ACIMBA organizes the "Roda da ACIMBA" in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, continuing the tradition of capoeira angola rodas that Neco has maintained for over four decades in the city.

Neco has also contributed to capoeira's documentation, giving testimony in the documentary "Pastinha uma vida pela capoeira" where he stated that capoeira was created by enslaved people to protect themselves from their captors. He has narrated reflections of Mestre Pastinha's teachings alongside Mestre Brinco.

Today, Mestre Neco Pelourinho remains one of the most important living figures in the history of Capoeira Angola in Rio de Janeiro—a guardian of tradition who originated the concept for the organization that would revitalize the art form in the 1980s and ensure its survival outside of Bahia.