ABADA UK Intro & Bio

About Manjerico…

ABADA UK is a London based group founded in 2003 by Nelio Rodrigues also known as Graduado Manjerico. Nelio was born in Mozambique in 1980 from a mixed race African family of Indian and Portuguese background. After the Independence in 1975 the country went through a period of intensive civil war and for many families Portugal became the only escape route. Once in Europe Manjerico’s family spent time between Spain and Portugal, where Manjerico lived until the age of 22 before he moved to the UK. Before falling in love with Capoeira, Manjerico practiced theatre, dance and circus skills. He joined ABADA Capoeira in 1999, a year after Instructor Cascao (student of Mestre Camisa) moved to Guimaraes (Portugal) and trained with the ABADA Capoeira group based in Porto.

Starting up…

The idea of starting a group in London sparked after Manjerico’s first visit to the United Kingdom in the summer of 2002. The Cultural diversity and openness he encountered caused a huge impressionon him and changed his outlook on racial integration. By January 2003 the first classes had started in the southeast of London, however the big capital turned up to be huge challenge and at the same time representing big learning curve for this young teacher.

London stands out from other European capitals for its strong currency and reputation for being a place of equal opportunities. Not surprisingly, it attracts thousands of people to live and work every year! For that same reason many Brazilian nationals migrate every year to the UK. In terms of the Capoeira community, more than 40 Capoeira clubs can be found in a quick Google search, a small sample of how many actually exist in the country. Capoeiristas from the all over Brazil but also Europe have found their homes in fitness clubs, gyms, colleges, schools, universities and community centres all throughout the UK.

The London group…

Since its creation in 2005, ABADA UK has come a long way with established regular capoeira training sessions in East, Central and West London. The London group works closely with the Westway Trust fund, a West London based charitable trust as well as the Greenwich Dance Agency, a dance development agency based in the Southeast, providing beginners to advanced Capoeira courses and organizing community events throughout the year. ABADA Capoeira UK also works closely with local schools and sports/education agencies offering after school clubs and Capoeira Sports days’ across London for children aged from 3 to 12 years old.

Currently, more than 60 children and roughlyy 50 adults train with the group on a regular basis. Like the city itself, the groups is made up of individuals from all walks of life and of the most diverse nationalities and backgrounds: European as well as non-Europeans such as Australian, Japanese, Angolan, Venezuelan just to name a few. Though different, they all see in Capoeira a unique solution to exercise and socialise and an opportunity to learn more of the Afro-Brazilian culture, in which the art is deeply rooted.

Present and future…

In May this year, the group hosted its 4th Batizado and Troca de cordas with the presence of Mestrando Peixe Cru at The Carnival Village Tabernacle in West London, selling out all 300 seats for the show. Other distinguished Capoeira personalities that have visited ABADA UK in the past include: Mestranda Edna Lima, Mestre Cobra, 2005 ABADA World Champion Professor Estacio and 2007 ABADAWorld Champion Professor Morceguinho.

Over the past 6 years, the group has managed to raise its profile in the London Capoeira scene but also the performing arts scene. ABADA UK has recently participated in The “How long is a Piece of String” concert in a collaboration with Barbican Education at the Barbican Centre (Europe’s largest multi-arts venue) where they performed for over a thousand children. In the future ABADA Capoeira UK hopes to keep developing a strong relationship with the arts and education in the UK opening way for even more exciting collaborative works.