Grupo Maculelê Atlanta was established in December 2002 with the
arrival of Mestre Fran and Professora Sara. With the help of Steven
Alphabet, Mestre Fran introduced the unfamiliar martial art to the
students of Georgia State University. From there, Grupo Maculelê
spread to other schools in the area, including Emory University and
University of Georgia in Athens. We trained and worked with Mestre
Fran to increase the exposure of Capoeira in Atlanta, encourage
knowledge of the Afro-Brazilian culture, and develop physical and
musical abilities.
Over the past six years, we have hosted five batizados (or
graduations) with special guest Mestres, Professors, and
Instructors from all over the world and performed in numerous
festivals through out the city of Atlanta including the Underground
Atlanta, Piedmont Park, and Compound Nightclub and many more.
Today, Maculelê in Atlanta continues to focus on the principles
that Mestre Fran has promoted since his first days of Capoeira. Our
philosophy is based on the physical, moral, and spiritual values of
the human being. As a group we aim to achieve goals such as:
• Developing every member’s talent and helping them to
be the best they can be
• Raising every member’s awareness of socio-economic
issues in the community
• Encouraging the practice of Capoeira as an art, a fight, and
as a path to social, cultural, and athletic integration
• Training members with the purpose of creating great Capoeira
instructors in order to expand Capoeira and the Afro-Brasilian
culture all over the world