International Capoeira Angola Foundation-Oakland
Afro-Brazilian capoeira
The International Capoeira Angola Foundation (ICAF) is a non-profit international organization dedicated to the practice, preservation and growth of Capoeira Angola. Mestre Jurandir, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil leads Oakland’s ICAF group.
Capoeira is an African-Brazilian martial art form. It is the art of a playful game combining dancing, fighting, acrobatics and live music. The style known as Capoeira Angola emphasizes the art form’s roots in African culture, maintaining its traditions, rituals and training methods.
ICAF-Oakland participated in ACTA’s Traditional Arts Development Program in 2009, receiving support for an artistic mentorship with Mestre Jurandir Nascimiento. Mestre Jurandir taught both adult and children’s classes, hosted a roda (a capoera circle open to the public), and core members of ICAF-Oakland sought counsel regarding curriculum and outreach in a planning meeting.