Mestre Zé Carlos

José Carlos Gonçalves, known as Mestre Zé Carlos, is one of the pioneers who helped establish Capoeira Angola outside of Bahia. He began his apprenticeship in 1973 with Mestre Moraes in Rio de Janeiro, shortly after Moraes arrived from Salvador for his military service. During the twelve years Moraes spent in Rio, he trained a core group of students who would become the first mestres of Capoeira Angola formed outside Bahia.

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

On December 16, 1978, at Parque Lage in Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Zé Carlos received the rank of Mestre in a ceremonial advancement alongside his colleagues Braga and Neco. 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 that demonstrated the art could be authentically transmitted beyond its traditional heartland.

On October 5, 1980, at a craft fair in Cosme Velho in Rio's south zone, Zé Carlos co-founded the Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho (GCAP) along with Mestres Moraes, Braga, and Neco, with Contra-Mestres Marco Aurélio and Peçanha (later known as Cobra Mansa). The founding idea originated from Mestre Neco, who envisioned an organization to oppose the Brazilian military government's suppression of African culture and preserve Pastinha's legacy. Mestre Braga designed the group's iconic logo—a berimbau and two zebras fighting, symbolizing capoeira's African origins.

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

In 1983, Zé Carlos began working with Capoeira Angola in Nova Iguaçu, in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro. During 1991, he definitively left GCAP and founded the Grupo de Capoeira Angola N'Golo on December 10, 1991. The name "N'golo" was the idea of his wife Dona Rosemery (in memoriam), chosen because it refers to a ritual of African tribes in Angola based on the mating rite of zebras. According to tradition, the n'golo in Brazil, among the enslaved Africans, originated capoeira angola within the slave quarters.

In the group's formation, Zé Carlos had the support of fellow capoeiristas and students who together have maintained the group's activities for over three decades. He faced a significant physical challenge when he suffered an Achilles tendon injury on November 24, 1992. After surgery on March 4, 1993, he returned to active play on November 16, 1993—demonstrating the resilience that characterizes his dedication to the art.

In 1995, he began teaching at Academia Irmãos Reis in the Catete neighborhood. In February 1997, at the invitation of Mestre Braga, he moved to the UNE building in Catete, which became a central location for Capoeira Angola in Rio. That same year, the CCARJ (Centro de Capoeira Angola do Rio de Janeiro) was founded, with Mestres Braga, Zé Carlos, and Mano as representatives, along with Contramestre Lumumba and Professor Pedro (Chopinho). This center united the groups Flor da Gente, África Bantu, and N'Golo, providing multiple daily classes and consolidating the Angola community in Rio.

Grupo N'Golo left CCARJ and finished its classes at UNE in early 2002. From 2003 to 2005, the group occupied a space at the Centro Cultural Laurinda Santos Lobo.

Zé Carlos appeared in the documentary "Pastinha! Uma Vida Pela Capoeira" (1998), directed by Toninho Muricy, alongside Mestres Braga, Curió, and João Grande. He was also featured in the 1991 commemorative video celebrating ten years of GCAP activities in Rio de Janeiro, including a notable "Jogo do Dinheiro" (Money Game) with Mestre Armandinho.

Today, Grupo N'Golo conducts training and classes at the Mercado das Pulgas in the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, with additional spaces in Tijuca and Urca. Classes are taught by Mestre José Carlos and supported by his most experienced students. The group organizes a monthly roda on the last Wednesday of each month at the Mercado das Pulgas location. Mestre Zé Carlos continues to teach, maintaining the Angola tradition he learned from Mestre Moraes and carrying forward the legacy of Mestre Pastinha.