The new chapter of the Kioni project, an initiative by the writer and capoeira practitioner Joana Carneiro Vasconcelos in partnership with Kvhona Produções, was launched on 9 May 2025 at the Guimarães Rosa Institute in Maputo. The event marked the official premiere of the 3D animated series “Kioni – a lenda da capoeira” (“Kioni – the legend of capoeira”) and the launch of the third volume of the Afro-Brazilian children's collection “Kioni, a pequena mandingueira”, entitled “Chama São Bento Grande”.
Kioni is a multidisciplinary project that combines literature, animation and education, inspired by African traditions and by capoeira as cultural expression. The main character, Kioni, is a 12-year-old Mozambican girl who discovers the magic of capoeira through the games, rhythms and stories of her homeland. With more than 10,000 books sold in more than 30 countries, translated into English, French, Spanish and German, Kioni has been winning over readers and educators around the world.
The animated series now presented is the first in the world entirely devoted to capoeira. The pilot episode, “O caminho dos elefantes” (“The Path of the Elephants”), will be produced later this year, with a budget of around 100,000 euros. Six more episodes will follow, with production expected in 2026, in an overall investment of more than half a million euros.
The project already includes educational materials, audiobooks, plays and audiovisual content, distributed in Mozambique, Brazil and Portugal. With a strong educational and cultural component, Kioni promotes values such as friendship, respect, identity and sharing.
The goal is clear: to bring an inspiring narrative to Mozambican, Brazilian and children around the world, giving visibility to their roots and creating a space for Afrocentric content in the children's and young people's universe. Kioni is a tribute to African heritage, with pride, ginga and plenty of imagination — a story that also belongs to Brazil, the cradle of capoeira, and that we want to see embraced by everyone who sees themselves in it.
