Mestre Valdir
Mestre Valdir da Silva was
introduced to capoeira at the age of eleven by his childhood
'Ediandro Almeida' (now Mestre Ediandro of Banzo
de Senzala, Barcelona). As children they both played in a football
team run by Ediandro's father, and Ediandro who was already
training capoeira at the Associacao de Capoeira Senzala, Santos
took Valdir to the academy where he attended his first capoeira
class with Contra Mestre Jose Luis.
Approximately twenty two years ago we had a football team
called the '11 Velozes', established by Senhor Penha, the father of
my brother Mestre Ediandro, who took me to Senzala when i was still
a child, thus began my life in Capoeira.
I thank God and my brother Ediandro for taking me to the
Temple of Capoeira in Baixada Santista, Associação de Capoeira
Senzala do Mestre Sombra - Mestre Valdir.
Mestre Valdir has been a disciple of Mestre Sombra since. In
exchange for looking after and maintaining the academy, Valdir
studied capoeira, samba de roda, maculele, danca Africa, danca das
aldeias and dancas da orixas under Mestre Sombra. Valdir continued
to train until he graduated as a formado in 1989.
Centro de Capoeira Convivencia
It was at this time that he began his work at the Prefeitura
Municipal de Santos (Santos City council) teaching capoeira at a
group of schools called 'Centro de Convivencia', or CECONS
(convivencia means as coexistence/living together). The work
commenced on a voluntary basis and developed onto paid work, with
Valdir teaching at a number of schools for the next three years as
well as teaching capoeira to street children and orphans under
local projects.
As the demand for work grew, Valdir formed a team of teachers
along with Givanildo Clemente de Souza and Formado Edmilson Jose da
Silva (Chininha) who between the years of 1991 and 1997 held eight
batizados for hundreds of child students of capoeira. It was during
this era in 1990 that Valdir began his work at the school 'Trinta
de Julho', an education centre for special needs children, which
continued for another 15 years. A total of six batizados were also
carried out for these students between 2000 and 2005.
Graduations
During this period, in 1993 at the age of 22, Valdir graduated
as a Contra Mestre of the the Associação de Capoeira Senzala
Santos, reflecting his continued dedication and training at the
academy. He also graduated from the University Santa Cecilia dos
Bandeirantes, a university of physical education in Santos
(Faculdade de Educacao Fisica de Santos FEFIS). He graduated in
1996 in Physical Education specializing in capoeira, football, keep
fit, recreation and physical education in schools.
The Birth of Conviver
In 1997 following the final batizado with CECONS, Valdir decided
that his group needed a permanent name as it had been operating
under the name of the city council schools he had been working in
(CECONS - Centro de Convivencia). With the suggestion of Mestre
Sombra for an official name for his capoeira association, the name
Associação de Capoeira Conviver was decided. Conviver means to live
and exist together as a family, and was considered a name which
reflected the energy and philosophy of the work carried out by
Valdir.
Valdir da Silva then focused on his students every weekend on
Saturday and Sunday at Mestre Sombra's academy and since has
carried out a further eight batizados bringing us up to 2005,
forming a total of eight students.
In 2005, Valdir finally graduated as a Mestre (Master) of the
Associação de Capoeira Senzala Santos.
Formados of Associacao de Capoeira Conviver
- Renata Querina de Oliveria
- Maria Isabel Barros dos Santos
- Patricia Alexandra Brito Barreto
- Jackson Guimaroes Pauferro Junior
- Luciano da Silva Souza
- Fabiana Pereira
Monitores of Associacao de Capoeira Conviver
- Rafael Luiz dos Santos - Capoeira Conviver Rio Branco