About this Event
A full day with a Mestre, close to home.
On Sunday, December 13, 2026, N'gola Preto Velho SoCal welcomes Mestre Themba Mashama, first African-American Capoeira Mestre & founder of the first Capoeira Angola school in the United States, to the Inland Empire for a day of workshops, followed by an open roda for the whole community.
AGENDA
10:00 AM: Workshops begin.
12:00 PM: Lunch break
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM: Open Roda, open to the public
Sessions and times are being finalized. Follow @ngolapretovelho for updates.
MEET MESTRE THEMBA MASHAMA
Mestre Themba Mashama founded N'gola Preto Velho, the first Capoeira Angola school in the United States, and remains its senior teaching authority. A San Francisco native based in the Bay Area, he trained under Mestre Acordeon and Mestre Moraes, in the Pastinha Angola lineage, and is the first American publicly recognized as a master in both Capoeira Regional and Capoeira Angola.
His work reaches well beyond the roda:
- Child and youth mental health therapist, including work with Healthy Black Families in Berkeley
- Commissioner, City of Berkeley Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Product Panel of Experts Commission
- Director and Recreation-Art Therapist, Velho Institute
- Co-founder, Kongo Angola Institute
WAYS TO JOIN
- Full-Day Ticket, $50: admission to the full day of workshops and the open roda
- Contribute $5, $10, or $25, or give any amount you choose, to help make the day possible
SPONSOR THE DAY
Local businesses and organizations are invited to sponsor. Sponsors are promoted, including logos and shoutouts in all media channels. To discuss sponsorship, message us @NgolaPretoVelho.
QUESTIONS
Message @ngolapretovelho on Instagram.
Hosted by N'gola Preto Velho SoCal.
Please note that by attending, you explicitly acknowledge that participation involves physical activity and that you are responsible for your own physical health and safety. You agree to waive any liability against the organizers (individually or collectively/corporately), and the event venue for injury or loss arising from your participation.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Garcia Center for the Arts, 536 West 11th Street, San Bernardino, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.