Save the Date!

I am excited to announce that Mestra Paulinha will be visiting us for an extended stay in March, 2019. We will host an open event from March 8 – 10 and invite you to save the date. I first met Mestra Paula Barreto at a FICA event in Seattle in 1998. Her confidence, her griot-like approach to explaining the history of Capoeira Angola, and the fem-energy she brought to the whole experience is what gave me the resolve to learn Portuguese, enroll in a year of studies abroad, move to São Paulo, and train with Grupo Nzinga. My life was positively and permanently changed because I met this beautiful woman and because she was part of a broader community of people I would learn to know and love. Those people include Mestra Janja Araújo, Mestre Poloca Barreto, Mestre Tião Carvalho and Mestre Piter Bedoian. Griots in each their own way, I have continued to admire and respect them as individuals and as teachers. We will be honored to soon host Mestra Paulinha in Atlanta and anticipate all the valuable experiences we will share as part of Grupo Nzinga in this upcoming year.
I am so thankful for to each of you for bringing your heart power and helping us to never miss a beat. I hope you will honor us with your presence.

Myriam