That’s the capoeirista Graduado Alan Rosário da Costa, better known as Preá do Mato. Born in Rio de Janeiro on 22 of June 1977, Alan has its roots in the north-eastern part of Brazil, where his parents Mr. Marivaldo Rosário da Costa e Mrs Mosarina Honorato come from. Preá lived in Rio during the first 6 years of
his life before moving with his mom to Fortaleza, in Ceará state, where he had his first contact with capoeira, in 1986. His first lessons was with a simple and humble man called Mestre Paraguai, who loved capoeira more than anything else and always managed to pass his love and dedication on to this students. In 1989 when Preá was in his teens his mom decided to move back with him to Rio where he joined his father again. Less than a year later, however, Mrs Mosarina realised that Rio wasn’t really a place for her and once again she moved back to Fortaleza. This time though Preá decided to stay. Following his father’s experience of someone who years ago had arrived on his own in that town, Preá soon would be working with him as a builder and studying at the same time. Preá was actually far away from everything he liked the most: his mom, the beaches from Ceará and, of course, capoeria. And it was during a walk with his brother Dalmo through the suburbs of Rio that he found the place which became his second capoeira gym. There in 1994 he met Professor Pantalona and also Abadá Capoeira. A few years later Preá went back to Fortaleza and there he became Mestre Gamela’s student between 1999 and 2000. Mestre Gamela would soon associate himself to Mestre Camisa, president of the group Abadá Capoeria. Preá had the chance to meet Mestre Camisa in person during the II Jogos Brasileiros de Capoeira, a few years later. In 2002 Preá became a Graduado from Professor Canário, another of Mestre Camisa follower, and little by little he moved towards the Abadá group. Today the activities of Preá do Mato are mainly focused on social works, something that began in Brazil while talking to some friends who, like himself, wanted to find means to help the people from their community. Already as a member of Abadá capoeira, which works with volunteers, they created the project Ação Fundo de Quintal, through which capoeira lessons are given to around 50 children. This project provides capoeira lessons and reinforces the importance of mutual love and respect between the students and people in general. Thanks to this work Preá was invited to start another project, but this time in Europe. He started out in Sweden and after a while in Denmark as well. Today Preá do Mato lives in Lund, Sweden, where he carries on his project with his students, son Aleandro and wife Carina.
