Mestre Sombra Name: Roberto Teles de Oliveira Date of Birth: 06/02/1941 Place of birth: Santa Rosa de Lima, Estado de Sergipe, Brazil

...Everything begun between 1940 and 1945, unfortunately we do not know the exact date. According to some members of the group, named by Master Sombra "Grupo Bahia do Berimbau", it was composed by the greatest capoeira's celebrities of that time. Among them Olivio Bispo do Santos (Master Bispo), Benedito, Samuel, Ling, Mata Onça, Aluizio, Anastácio, Bahia do Charuto and Jacaré.

Guided by Master Bispo, they used to meet in Vicente de Carvalho - São Paulo, to practice the capoeira among themselves. Master Sombra, one of the youngest, was that last one to join the group in 1963. The "Grupo Bahia do Berimbau" invested Master Sombra with the mission of perpetuating and divulging their knowledge, tradition and culture. To accomplish this mission he invited Paulo dos Santos (Paulinho Pirata) and Ary Francisco da Costa, to create the "Academia Primeira Seção", located on the docks, where they would receive students. However Master Sombra continues to practice the capoeira with the "Grupo Bahia do Berimbau".

At that time the sociopolitical context was not propitious to the capoeira and Master Sombra had great difficulties on maintaining the academy functioning. In 1965, they were obliged to move and, a few months later, to close. Master Sombra persists and invites Master Bira to open a new place. Master Bira accepts the offer, however a month later he stops. Nevertheless, Master Sombra continues with some students, among them: Ivo Carcará, Toninho (Academia Dragão Vermelho), Paulinho and Totonho. One more time, due to a lack of financial resources, he has to close the academy. This time, discouraged, he stops practicing the Capoeira for a long period.

Believing in his mission, he comes back in 1972 and, with Paulinho Pirata and Ary, creates the first "Associação de Capoeira Zumbi" in Vicente de Carvalho. In 1975, Master Sombra moves to Santos and changes the name of the association calling it "Associação de Capoeira Senzala de Santos". However with the procedure of changing the name, the bureaucrats also changed its opening date. So actually, even if the association exists since 1971, its official opening date is 1975.

In 1978 the association moves one more time to the rua Brás Cubas 227 S.P.Brazil where it is settled since then. Master Sombra formed a big number of students who, opened other associations in Brazil and through out the world, that continue to perpetuate and diffuse the Afro-brazilian race's tradition, knowledge and culture.