Bira Almeida was born in Salvador, Brazil, in 1943. As Mestre Acordeon, he is on of ten mestres certified by Mestre Bimba, Patron of Capoeira. A playwright, songwriter, vocalist, and musician, as well as a teacher of capoeira, Bira Almeida created the Grupo Folclorico de Politecnica which toured Europe. Almeida is founder and first president of the World Capoeira Association.
