Marcos da Silva (Mestre Barrão) was born in Recife, Brazil, a port city renowned for its Brazilian music, dance and long Capoeira tradition.

In 1974, Marcos began studying Capoeira with Mestre Pirajá. After three years of training with Mestre Pirajá, who eventually left on sabbatical, Marcos went on in 1977 to continue his training with Mestre Teté. Mestre Teté shared with him the ways of the Street Capoeirista. He learned about the variable situations of the street: how to be shrewd and clever when playing, how to read opponents, and how to judge situations that one invariably finds oneself in, both inside and outside of the Roda of Capoeira. In 1987, he was graduated to Master by Mestre Pirajá.

In 1990, Mestre Barrão was invited to demonstrate his art at the International Children’s Festivals throughout North America and eventually found himself in Canada at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. Barrão decided to immigrate to Canada in 1992 and begin teaching there at various locations. He started The Annual International Capoeira Encounter and has renowned and respected Mestres from all over the world visit and share their skills. In 1996, he opened Canada’s first Academy of Capoeira.

Today, Mestre Barrão frequently receives invitations to conduct and teach Capoeira at international workshops. The mestres who assembled at the Melhores Do Seculo event in Curitiba Parana in 2000, recognized Mestre Barrão as one of the great capoeiristas of the century, due to his skill and contribution to Capoeira. Mestre Barrão and his Grupo Axé Capoeira have recorded nine CD volumes of Capoeira music and one other, together with Mestre Burguês which continues to be tremendously popular throughout Brazil. They have also released Axé Capoeira 2000, a video of the 2000 International Encounter as well as Axé Capoeira Performance Videos – Brazil 2001, Brazil 2003, & Brazil 2005. Mestre Barrão now has schools in Canada, Brazil, United States, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Russia, China, Trinidad & Tobago, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Serbia, Azerbaijan, France, UK, Czech Republic, Angola, Turkey, Japan, Barbados, Belarus, Dominican Republic, and Poland.