Mestre Geni

José Serafim Ferreira Junior began capoeira in the late 1950s, entering the world of Mestre Canjiquinha's academy at a time when Salvador's rodas were still rough-edged proving grounds. Canjiquinha eventually told his student: "I have taught you as much as you can learn in here. You now have to go to the street rodas and experience capoeira." At that time, the street rodas were tough places where you would only enter if you could hold your own.

Geni went on to become one of the few white people to enter this tight circle of capoeiristas, earning their respect for his skills as a fighter. To this day, all over Bahia and Brazil, his name is well regarded as a living legend who experienced a unique period in capoeira history.

In the late 1960s, Geni sought to expand his training by studying with Mestre Bimba. At that time, Bimba did not accept students from other teachers. Through a friendship with a Bimba student called Tarzan, Geni entered Bimba's academy as a "beginner" student under Tarzan's guidance. He went on to graduate from Bimba's school, one of the few to bridge both the Canjiquinha and Bimba lineages directly.

In September 1986, Geni participated in a landmark recording session at Boca do Rio studio in Salvador with Mestres Waldemar and Canjiquinha. He played the atabaque and joined the chorus alongside Mestres Itapoan, Suassuna, and Ezequiel. The resulting album preserved "capoeira-memory of Bahia through their singing."

Geni is a primary source for the history of Canjiquinha's musical innovations. He confirmed that the toques Muzenza, Samango, Samba de Angola, and Banguela de Angola were all creations of Mestre Canjiquinha—testimony that has become the standard citation for these attributions.

In 1988, Geni founded Grupo Zambiacongo in Salvador, Bahia. The group's philosophy explicitly bridges the Angola-Regional divide, honoring both Canjiquinha's Angola heritage and Bimba's Regional innovations. The name "Zambiacongo" evokes African origins.

Geni's son, Mestre Luizinho Barravento, brought Zambiacongo to Australia in 1997, first establishing it on the Gold Coast and later founding Xango Capoeira Group in Brisbane (2011). The international expansion demonstrates how Geni's synthesis of traditions traveled beyond Brazil.

On May 24, 2025, the "Primeiro Viver Capoeira" event in Barra do Jacuípe, Camaçari (Bahia) marked what would have been Geni's 78th birthday. About 250 people gathered to honor the creator of Zambiacongo, with mestres from various states and countries. Among the highlights was the presentation of the toque "Samango," keeping alive the musical heritage Geni preserved from his teacher Canjiquinha. The event included maculelê, samba de roda, and a graduation ceremony for the Grupo Zambiacongo teaching team—evidence that the legacy continues through his students and family.