Mestre Fran

Francisco Antonio Rodrigues da Silva, known as Mestre Fran, was born in November 7th, 1964, in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. He started practicing Capoeira at the age of 10, in São Paulo, Brazil.

In November of 1982, he arrived in Londrina, Brazil, with the dream to disseminate the art of Capoeira to the South of Brazil. The group which Mestre Fran was part at that time was named as Grupo de Capoeira Conceição da Praia. Its creator and president was Mestre Ronaldo Luis de Lima, known as Mestre Bradesco—who taught Mestre Fran the first steps into the Capoeira. Mestre Bradesco came from a legendary group in the Capoeira world: Capitães de Areia.

After many years of hard work in Londrina, Mestranda Sara, Mestre Fran's partner, suggested a trip to Salvador, Bahia. In Salvador he met Dona Alice, Mestre Pastinha's legendary widow. He also met many others capoeiristas, like Mestre Bobó, Caiçara, Ezequiel. These old "capoeiristas baianos" (from Bahia) showed Mestre Fran the essence of Capoeira and the Maculelê art. The beat of the drums and the vibration of that beautiful dance-fight-art had a major impact in Mestre Fran. Coming back to Londrina he decided to create his own Group. Mestre Fran created the Associação Cultural de Capoeira Maculelê, also known as simply Maculelê. Today, he continues to teach, learn, and gain experience participating in rodas and events throughout Brazil, the US, and the rest of the world.

Still today, Mestre Fran has never forgotten his Mestre's principles:

"To play Capoeira is to understand the history of the people that expressed its fears, dreams and anxieties of liberty through body movement."