Mestre Braga

Antonio Neves Braga was born on June 13, 1957, in the Lins neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, during the time when it was part of Guanabara State. He grew up in a culturally rich environment filled with street games, samba, and informal fighting traditions, learning combative techniques from around ages 13-14 through street fights and peer instruction.

His formal capoeira journey began at approximately age 14-15 when he joined Grupo Palmares (Paula de Fronten, SEG) in Rio de Janeiro. There he trained under Mestres Roni, Zé Macaco, and Cabelo Russo (also referred to as Cabelo Vermelho in some sources). After that group disbanded, the academy relocated to Academia Almir Ribeiro in Tijuca, then to Morro do Catumbi.

Following the dissolution of Grupo Palmares, Braga continued his training at Grupo Corda Bamba in Penha, where he studied under Mestre Touro for approximately six months. He also trained with Mestre Dentinho in Vila Isabel. By this point, he had achieved the corda amarela (yellow cord) ranking in the Rio de Janeiro capoeira federation.

Everything changed in 1975 during Rio's Carnival. At a roda near Central do Brasil, Braga witnessed a capoeirista playing in a way he had never seen before - with distinctive physical technique and extraordinary body control, particularly in inverted positions like the Bananeira. The crowd called him "o africano" (the African). This was Mestre Moraes, a student of Mestre Pastinha from Salvador.

On July 5, 1975, at age 17-18, Braga began training with Moraes at Clube Gurilandia in Botafogo. He was among the initial cohort of students including Peçanha (later known as Cobra Mansa), Mano, Agostinho, 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, Braga traveled to Salvador with a group that included Moraes, Neco, Marco Aurélio, Zé Carlos, Tete, and Amalha. During this pivotal journey, they visited Mestre Pastinha, who remembered Moraes by his childhood nickname "Pedrinho". The group remained in Salvador for January, participating in Bonfim festival celebrations featuring Angola roda dancing. Braga presented a berimbau to Pastinha as a gift during this visit.

On December 16, 1978, at Parque Lage in Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Braga received the rank of Mestre in a ceremonial advancement alongside his colleagues Neco 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.

In December 1979, Braga made another trip to Salvador with Mestre Moraes to visit Mestre Pastinha once more.

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

Braga served as pedagogical advisor to Cinésio (Cobra Mansa), teaching foundational Angola principles. When Moraes returned to Salvador in 1982, he left the three young Rio mestres (Braga, Neco, and Zé Carlos) with full autonomy and responsibility to continue his teachings. Braga participated in GCAP workshops in 1985 and 1986, traveling with other Rio mestres and helping to train students at the Forte Santo Antonio Além do Carmo in Salvador.

In 1993-1994, Braga departed from GCAP and founded his own organization, Grupo/Escola de Capoeira Angola África Bantu (G/ECAAB), in Rio de Janeiro. One mestre emerged from this foundational group: Mestre Edson, who currently teaches capoeira in Rio and participates in inter-group encounters.

In 1997, Braga relocated to Denmark, where he established Africa Bantu groups in Aarhus and Copenhagen. The Danish branch, directed by Contramestre Andreas, grew to approximately 40 students. A 2004 gathering in Aarhus attracted 80 participants, including Mestres Edson, Neco, Zé Carlos, and Carlão.

In 2002, Braga moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he established the Africa Bantu Geneva group. This branch operates as an officially registered association (Association de Capoeira Angola Àfrica Bantu) and maintains membership with the Ateliers d'Ethnomusicologie (ADEM). The Geneva group has approximately 20 students with Braga himself as the direct instructor.

Today, Braga remains based in Geneva, continuing to teach and organize workshops and demonstrations not only in Switzerland but across Europe and Brazil. His groups regularly attend capoeira encounters in cities including Montpellier, Lyon, Berlin, Barcelona, Bristol, and Paris. He has also taught in the United States, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany.