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.
''Não chamei a capoeira para fazer parte da minha vida, simplesmente ela veio. Hoje não sei Conviver sem ela '' - Mestre Valdir.
''I did not call for capoeira to become part of my life, simply it came. Today I don't know how to live without it. '' - Mestre Valdir.
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.
Capoeira 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
Monitores of Associacao de Capoeira Conviver
Rafael Luiz dos Santos - Capoeira Conviver Rio Branco
