Lúcia Palmares

Lúcia Querino was born in Salvador, Bahia on May 15, 1955. She trained capoeira with Norival Moreira de Oliveira, Mestre Nô, from 1971, in his academy in Massaranduba, Orixás da Bahia. Lúcia was the first woman student of mestre Nô's. She was graduated as professor in 1979.

She taught in Mestre Dinelson's Centro Suburbano de Capoeira, in Alto de Coutos, suburban Salvador, from 1980 to 1990. Mestre Nô gave her the Contra-Mestre belt in 1987.

The 2nd batizado of the Grupo Palmares in Santos in december 1994 hosted master Braulino (standing), master Bandeira (squatting, on the right) and Sombra.

In 1992 she moved to Santos (SP). After a while, she taught capoeira again, in Ely's bodybuilding and fitness club. Having obtained, by telephone, Mestre Nô's permission to use the name capoeira Palmares, her group introduced itself to the Santos capoeiristas on January 4, 1993. Lúcia then began to work in the Casa de Cultura da Mulher Negra (House of Culture of the Black Woman, N.G.O.). On some occasion, a colleague suggested that she should use the name Lúcia Palmares, which she did from then on.

Lúcia in Paris

In 1995 she travelled to France, where she lives since 1996. She created the Groupe de Capoeira Palmares in september of this same year, with Pol Briand, at the R.D. Sporting Club. (Paris 10e). When this place closed, the group moved to Studio Coustou (Paris 18th), and then to the Espace Fontaine (Paris 9th), where it is continuing its activity.

Lúcia Palmares also taught in the suburban areas of Torcy and Champs-sur-Marne, and in capoeira workshops for Physical Training teachers in 1999 e 2000 (see reflexions about capoeira in schools) and goes on with her regular job, assisting old people.

Texts

• A rasteira (1996).
• Falsidade: Falseness (2002).
• Vina, uma mulher na capoeira (2004) (also in French).
• Avec Pol Briand, Capoeira e escola (2000).
• Lembranças: memories of first steps in capoeira, in Portuguese (2007).