Mestre Marreta – Luiz Carlos Afonso – was born in 1961 in the small town Taiobeiras in Minas Gerais in Brazil. Soon the family moved to the larger town Montes Claros. Marreta was always into sports, especially martial arts, but at the age of 16 he saw Mestre Dunga from Belo Horizonte playing and fell in love with capoeira. He never abandoned this beautiful acrobatic and musical martial art. Marreta was one of the first capoeira teachers in Europe, starting in Portugal, later in France and finally he established himself in Amsterdam, where he teaches to children and adults. Twice a year he returns to Montes Claros to teach and work at his school Escola de Capoeira Berimbau de Ouro and at his farm Fazenda Mandacarú.
He organizes every year the New Year Capoeira Meeting Amsterdam and – together with Mestre Samara – the Easter Capoeira Meeting Amsterdam.

Furthermore Mestre Marreta teaches at workshops all over Europe and other places, like Perth (Australia), Singapore, Martinique.