Mariano Silva was born and raised in Salvador Bahia Brazil. Immersed in the culture, Mariano gained his passion for singing from listening to his mother sing in the kitchen. He began dancing and training capoeira at age 10 and founded his first academy at age 23. In 2001, he left Brazil to tour with the Ballet Folclorico Do Brazil. He settled in Santa Barbara to teach at the University of California and founded his second academy and community center. Mariano still travels to teach and perform internationally as a solo artist as well as with his performance groups.
Mariano Silva is a Master of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of Capoeira. Mestre Mariano Silva teaches academic courses in Capoeira at the University of California Santa Barbara and travels teaching workshops throughout the world. Mestre Mariano Silva’s academy, Capoeira Relampue is based in Santa Barbara California at the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara. Mestre Mariano Silva also leads Capoeira Relampue academies in Ventura, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Brazil.
Mariano Silva is a singer, song writer, musician, and composer. Known for his captivating stage presence, Mariano Silva travels the world as a solo artist, performer, and teacher. Mariano Silva also tours and performs locally with Banda Prakantar, and Banda Alegria Geral.
Mariano Silva teaches music classes at the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara.
Mariano Silva teaches Ballroom and Brazilian Dance at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), at the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara, as well as workshops and events throughout the world. His dance classes blend a unique combination of history, tradition and movement.
Mariano Silva is the Founder and Director of the Bahia Magia Dance Company. The Company was created by Mariano Silva to tell the stories of the Brazilian Cultural Arts. Each performance is a journey for the audience with beautiful colourful costumes, dances, songs, percussion, and acrobatics. The company puts on full 2 hour productions as well as shorter demonstrations for schools, festivals, and events.
Mariano Silva is passionate about using art as a tool to bring people of diverse backgrounds together and build community. Since founding his first academy in 1997, Groupo de Angola Renascer, and today through the Brazilian Cultural Arts Center of Santa Barbara he founded in 2001, Mariano creates space for community members to discover themselves and support each other through cultural arts.
Mariano Silva’s students will be the first to tell you that his teaching goes beyond music and movements. His teaching style empowers student to find themselves in the rhythms and movements through freedom of expression. Mariano Silva is known for his motivational speeches that he delivers in classes and guest lectures throughout the world.
Mariano Silva is a Master Chef who first learned to cook traditional Afro-Brazilian food in his Mother’s kitchen as a boy. For Mariano Silva, cooking is more than combining flavors with heat, it is a way to enjoy rich traditions and history with all of your senses. Due to the popularity of his cooking at community events, Mariano Silva founded Flavor of Brazil Catering (https://www.flavorsofbrazil.com/)
