Mestre Zé Pedro

José Pedro da Silva, known as Mestre Zé Pedro, was born in the city of Santa Rita, in the northeastern state of Paraíba. After losing his father at a young age, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro at just six years old. Destitute, he nonetheless managed to become literate by age eight and persevered with his education throughout his life. To survive, he enlisted in the Brazilian Navy as a sailor, lying about his age to be accepted.

Zé Pedro's capoeira education began at the academy of Mário Buscapé, leader of the legendary Capoeiras do Bonfim group. There he developed his skills with the berimbau—an instrument he took great pride in playing—and became a singer with profound knowledge of chulas and other capoeira songs. At Mário Buscapé's academy, he also met Mestre Paulão Muzenza and Mestre Mintirinha, who would become lifelong companions in capoeira.

Beyond capoeira, Zé Pedro distinguished himself as a fighter. He competed in freestyle fighting contests (luta livre) broadcast on TV Continental (Canal 9, which existed until 1972), claiming he "never lost a fight in Vale Tudo." He also achieved a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, awarded by the legendary Hélio Gracie, who reportedly called him a "golden boy."

His teaching career began when he opened his first academy on Rua Cândido Benício in the Jacarepaguá neighborhood, sharing the space for a time with Mestre Mintirinha. There he founded his first group, Pequenos Libertadores ("Little Freedom Fighters")—a name that caused complications during the military dictatorship, leading to questioning by the DOI-CODI.

In the early 1970s, Zé Pedro established what would become his most famous venue: an academy on the first floor (sobreloja) in Bonsucesso. Teaching initially under the group name Filhos de Amaralina, he later renamed it Guaiamus e Nagoas in homage to two rival capoeira gangs that had existed in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro. He shared this space with his good friend Mestre Artur Emídio, another Bahian pioneer.

The Sunday roda at Zé Pedro's academy, which ran from 1973 to 1979, became one of the most famous capoeira events in Rio de Janeiro during the 1970s. Led by a single berimbau—typically with Zé Pedro playing, accompanied by Baiano da Bonfim on tambourine and Baianinho da Bonfim on a second berimbau—the roda attracted the most skilled capoeiristas of the era. According to Mestre Valdir Sales: "His roda only had bambas, tough guys." Regular participants included mestres Artur Emídio, Leopoldina, Mintirinha, Paulão Muzenza, Paulo Gomes, Camisa, Gato, Peixinho, Moraes, Dentinho, Touro, Celso, Silas, and many others. Capoeiristas traveled from Brasília, São Paulo, and Bahia to play there.

The Senzala Group specifically visited rodas of masters including Zé Pedro, Artur Emídio, Roque, and Celso de Pilares as part of developing their training methodology. Members recall these visits as "real training labs" that strengthened their approach.

The academy gained international exposure through a contract with RioTour, the official Tourism Board of Rio de Janeiro, which listed it on the tourism events calendar for the whole world. This helped establish Zé Pedro's roda as a core reference point in the development of contemporary capoeira.

Paulão Muzenza, Zé Pedro's great friend and constant companion in rodas and life, encouraged his advancement with the phrase: "we are not born to be soldiers, we have to move upwards." Zé Pedro took this advice to heart, eventually passing the examination to enter the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro (PMERJ). He obtained a Law degree after age thirty and completed specialized combat training at the Jungle War Instruction Centre (CIG) in Manaus, Amazonas. His military career culminated in promotion to Commander (Major), and he was one of the founders of BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Especiais), the elite special operations unit that became legendary.

In 1979, Zé Pedro made the decision to stop teaching capoeira, dedicating himself entirely to his career in the PMERJ. As he put it, he followed the "call from life" to study and advance. His advanced students at that time included Paulinho Guaiamum, Alfredo, Célio, Élcio, Valmir, Murilo, and Luiz Peito Queimado.

Zé Pedro's legacy endures through the countless capoeiristas who passed through his legendary roda, through his contribution to the formation of Contemporary Capoeira in Rio de Janeiro, and through his example of personal advancement through merit—he claimed to have never relied on patronage or clientelism throughout his entire military career.