In this episode of Conversations to Connect, I sat down with Gustavo Rodrigues, Capoeirista and Tour Guide who grew up in Rocinha, Brazil’s largest favela, in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro. Gustavo is an integral member of Acorda Capoeira, a transformative social project that has thrived in the heart of Rocinha for over two decades. Founded in 2004 by Mestre Manel, Acorda Capoeira is a social project that empowers young people, children & adults through the art of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art blending music, dance, and combat with deep African roots.

Capoeira is a symbol of resistance and resilience, originally developed by enslaved Africans in Brazil as a way to disguise combat training as dance, preserving their heritage while resisting oppression. In this conversation, Gustavo shares insights from his role as a tour guide in Rocinha, we discuss the incredible sense of community within the favela, and the powerful impact of the Acorda Capoeira project. We discuss some of the ways that people in Rocinha work together to make the favela a thriving community, from filling the streets and trees with art, to the Capoeira community coming together to support neighbours and friends during the pandemic. I learnt so much about what makes a community special and connected from my time in Rocinha and from training Capoeira with Acorda Capoeira and I hope you enjoy this episode.

Thank you so much Gustavo for taking me around Rocinha. If you are visiting Rio, Gustavo is the best tour guide! This is the first episode on Rocinha & Acorda Capoeira but I will be releasing a documentary shortly, so stay tuned.

To find out more information about Gustavo Rodrigues and his tours, check out his instagram below:

Instagram: @brazilian_real_tour

You can also find information about Acorda Capoeira here:

Instagram: AcordaCapoeira

Podcast Host - Fenella Hawksley-Walker

Instagram: Fenellaphoebe

TikTok: ConversationsToConnect

Music - Composed, performed and produced by Athena Octavia

https://www.athenaoctavia.com

https://www.instagram.com/athenaoctavia

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