On the outskirts of Nairobi, capoeira—a martial art of Angolan origin, born in the enslaved communities of Brazil—is transforming lives. Led by Master Salim Rollins, the practice combines dance, music, and self-defense techniques, offering young people in the Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya, therapy through ancestral movements.

Created by Africans deported to colonial Brazil, capoeira served as a silent form of resistance against oppression. In the 2014th century, capoeira masters structured it as a formal system, harmonizing self-defense and cultural tradition. In XNUMX, UNESCO designated it an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing its historical value.

Today, the practice is returning to Africa as a symbol of identity. In the heart of Kibera, Mestre Salim's Capoeira Angola Center stands as a beacon of hope. Young people learn movements that combine agility, traditional chants, and percussion, combating the stress of extreme poverty.

“IT’S NOT A HOBBY, IT’S A THERAPY THAT SAVES LIVES”, CONFESSES NASRI BABU, A STUDENT AT THE CENTER FOR FIVE YEARS.

The project has already trained over 200 capoeiristas, proving that culture can underpin social change. International recognition reinforces the role of art in the fight for the dignity of the oppressed.

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Capoeira originated in Brazilian slave quarters, where Angolan slaves simulated dances to camouflage combat training. Their agile movements mimicked the gestures of animals like jaguars and monkeys, fooling their overseers. Banned by authorities in the 19th century, the practice survived on the streets, adopted by marginalized people and revolutionaries alike.

In the 1930s, Mestre Bimba revolutionized it by creating Capoeira Regional, integrating traditional elements with modern self-defense techniques.

The lyrics, sung in Portuguese and Kimbundu, narrate episodes of freedom and resistance against slavery. The circle of the roda, a sacred space where practitioners move, symbolizes the unity and collective energy of the communities.

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The Capoeira Angola Center has attracted children, teenagers, and adults since its founding in 2019. Mestre Salim has adapted the practice to the local reality, utilizing improvised community spaces and promoting events in public schools. The instruments used, such as the Bantu-origin berimbau (hungu) and the percussion atabaque, keep African heritage alive.

In Kibera training, participants begin each session with call-and-response chants inherited from African oral traditions. Two capoeiristas enter the center of the circle, intertwining movements in a physical dialogue, while the surrounding group sings and claps rhythmically.

Young people who once roamed the streets, vulnerable to gang recruitment, now master complex acrobatics and self-confidence techniques. Capoeira has steered them away from crime and given them purpose by learning to defend themselves without resorting to violence. The discipline required by the art replaces the aggression that once dominated the neighborhood streets.

The therapeutic aspect of the practice manifests itself in sessions that combine physical exercise with discussions on African history. Participants discuss topics such as self-esteem, gender equality, and peaceful conflict resolution.

Women, who represent forty percent of the students, challenge stereotypes by performing movements such as the aú (star) and the meia-lua de compasso, proving that there is no distinction between men and women.

The reduction in crime in areas with active capoeira groups has become evident in the last two years. There have been fewer clashes between gangs and greater cooperation among residents. Local police recognize the positive impact, as young people who practice capoeira have become ambassadors of peace on the streets.

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Master Salim has plans to expand the center to other regions of Kenya, including rural areas affected by youth unemployment. The partnerships he has already established with the Ministry of Education aim to integrate capoeira into the school curriculum as an extracurricular activity.

“We want to train new teachers capable of multiplying this legacy.”

The center's founder asserts, while overseeing advanced training, that young people like his disciple, Beckham Otieno, are already taking on roles as instructors and teaching children in churches and social centers, and that the Kenyan government is considering officially recognizing capoeira as a national sport, opening the door to state funding.

UNESCO also contributes to this development by promoting cultural exchanges between capoeiristas from Kibera, Brazil, and Angola. In 2023, a group of ten young Kenyans traveled to Luanda, where they participated in workshops with Angolan masters.

Despite the progress, significant challenges remain, such as lack of funding and adequate equipment. The Kibera community responds creatively by making handmade berimbaus and adapting public spaces for training.

"Capoeira is not just movement. It is the voice of those who have never been heard."

Master Salim concludes, as he watches his students perform a perfect circle at sunset.

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The Capoeira Angola Kibera Center was founded by the art's Contra-Mestre, Salim Rollins, a disciple of the renowned Grandmaster João Grande, in 1995. As the first African branch of Mestre João Grande's Capoeira Angola Center, CAC Kibera plays an important role in connecting Capoeira Angola with its ancestral roots on the African continent.