Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (commonly called Mestre Pastinha) (April 5, 1889,
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador (English: ''Savior'') is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
– November 13, 1981) was a ''mestre'' (a master practitioner) of the
Brazilian martial art
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
Capoeira
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th century ...
.
Formative Years
Pastinha was born to José Pastinha (born Pastiña), a poor
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
immigrant
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
who worked as a pedlar and Eugênia Maria de Carvalho Ferreira, a black Bahian homemaker. He was exposed to Capoeira at the age of 8 by an
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n named Benedito.
[http://www.sport.ifcs.ufrj.br/recorde/pdf/recordeV1N1_2008_1a.pdf ] The story goes that an older and stronger boy from Pastinha's neighborhood would often bully and beat him up. One day Benedito saw the aggression that Pastinha suffered, and then told him to stop by his house because he was going to teach him a few things. In his next encounter with that boy, Pastinha defeated him so quickly that the older boy became his admirer. From then on, Pastinha had a happy and modest childhood. In the mornings he would take
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
classes at the Liceu de Artes e OfÃcio school where he learned to paint; afternoons were spent playing with
kite
A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. ...
s and practicing Capoeira. He continued his training with Benedito for three more years.
Inheriting Capoeira Angola
In 1941, by Aberrê's (Pastinha's former student) invitation, Pastinha went to a Sunday roda at ''ladeira do Gengibirra'' located at ''bairro da Liberdade'', where the best Capoeira mestres would hang out. Aberrê was already famous in these ''rodas'' (see
Capoeira
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th century ...
), and after spending the afternoon there, one of the greatest mestres of Bahia, Amorzinho, asked Pastinha to take charge of Capoeira Angola.
As a result, in 1941 Pastinha founded the first Angola school, the ''Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola'', located at the
Pelourinho
The Historic Center ( US) or Centre ( UK; pt, Centro Histórico) of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, also known as the Pelourinho (Portuguese for "Pillory") or Pelo, is a historic neighborhood in western Salvador, Bahia. It was the city's cent ...
. His students would wear black pants and yellow
T-shirt
A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...
s, the same color as the
Esporte Clube Ypiranga
Esporte Clube Ypiranga is a football team of Salvador, Bahia. Its colours are yellow and black.
With 10 titles of the Campeonato Baiano, it has the third-most titles in the Bahia state championship, coming behind Vitória and Bahia, with 27 and ...
, his favorite soccer club.
In March 1963 former executive-secretary of the Danish-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo, Mr. Preben Mailand Christensen, was recommended visiting Mestre Pastinha during travels in Brazil, in those days the most famous capoeirista of Brazil. During the visit he offered a personal show by himself and the alumni, and Christensen was given Mestre Pastinha's personal, red calling card with his picture, and presented with one of his own, old, well-used Berimbaus, both still in Christensen's possession, eventually available as photographed/scanned files. In 1963, according to his calling card, he used the expression "Academia Capoeira Angola" for his school in Pelourinho 19, Salvador-BA. He was then 74 years and still very much in good shape.
He participated with the Brazilian delegation of the "First International Festival de Artes Negras" in
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
,
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
(1966), bringing with him
João Grande
João Oliveira dos Santos (born 15 January 1933), better known as Mestre João Grande, is a Grão-Mestre (Grand Master) of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira angola who has contributed to the spread of this art throughout the world. He w ...
, Gato Preto, Gildo Alfinete, Roberto Satanás and Camafeu de Oxossi.
Twilight Years
Pastinha worked as
shoeshiner
Shoeshiner or boot polisher is an occupation in which a person cleans and buffs shoes and then applies a waxy paste to give a shiny appearance and a protective coating. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job was traditionally d ...
,
tailor
A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.
History
Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
, gold prospector, security guard (''leão de chácara'') at a
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...
house (''casa de jogo'') and
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
worker at the ''Porto de Salvador'' to support himself financially so that he could do what he loved the most, to be an ''Angoleiro''.
Eventually Pastinha's academy fell on hard times. Pastinha, old, sick and almost totally
blind, was asked by the government to vacate his building for renovations. But the space was never returned to him. Instead it became a restaurant and entertainment outlet. Pastinha died a broken man and bitter about his treatment, but never regretted living the life of a Capoeirista. Pastinha was left abandoned in a city shelter (abrigo D. Pedro II - Salvador).
Having dedicated his entire life to
Capoeira Angola
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centu ...
, he played his last game of Capoeira on April 12, 1981. Pastinha, the father and protector of Capoeira Angola, died at the age of 92 on November 13, 1981. He was survived by two of his most learned students, João Grande and João Pequeno (died 2011) who continued to share Pastinha's Capoeira Angola with the world.
C. Daniel Dawson would later write,
:'Pastinha was a brilliant
Capoeirista
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centu ...
whose game was characterized by his
agility
Agility or nimbleness is an ability to change the body's list of human positions, position quickly and requires the integration of isolated movement skills using a combination of balance (ability), balance, coordination (physiology), coordination ...
, quickness and
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
(…). Pastinha wanted his students to understand the practice,
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and tradition of pure Capoeira Angola. As he said, "I practice the true Capoeira Angola and in my school they learn to be sincere and just. That is the Angola law. I inherited it from my grandfather. It is the law of
loyalty
Loyalty, in general use, is a devotion and faithfulness to a nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Philosophers disagree on what can be an object of loyalty, as some argue that loyalty is strictly interpersonal and only another h ...
. The Capoeira Angola that I learned - I did not change it here in my school… When my students go on they go on to know about everything. They know; this is fight, this is cunning. We must be calm. It is not an offensive fight. Capoeira waits (…). The good Capoeirista must know how to sing, play Capoeira and the instruments of Capoeira."'
''Excerpt from Capoeira Angola and Mestre João Grande by C. Daniel Dawson''
Lineage
The concept of lineage is one that is of primary importance to the practitioners of
Capoeira Angola
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centu ...
. Lineage, the chain of teachers (''mestres'') and students, defines a person's place in the Capoeira community, and structures a school's teachings and philosophies. Styles may evolve differently through different teachers, who, in turn, pass these new styles on to their own students.
Although there existed a number of other Angola mestres during his time in Pelourinho, Pastinha's school can be considered the most influential in shaping Capoeira Angola into what it is today. Most mestres of Capoeira Angola can trace their lineage back to Pastinha.
See also
*
Mestre Bimba
Manuel dos Reis Machado, commonly called Mestre Bimba (; November 23, 1899 – February 5, 1974), was a Brazilian capoeira ''mestre'' (a master practitioner). He founded the '' capoeira regional'' school, one of the art's two main branches.
E ...
*
Mestre Sinhozinho
Agenor Moreira Sampaio ( Santos, Brazil, 1891–1962), most commonly known as Mestre Sinhozinho, was a ''mestre'' or master practitioner of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira. He was the main exponent of the fighting-oriented style known a ...
*
Norival Moreira de Oliveira
Norival Moreira de Oliveira (born June 22, 1945), also known as Mestre Nô, is a Grand Master of capoeira angola who was initiated into capoeira angola at the age of four.
He was born in Coroa, Itaparica, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. At 7, Norival and ...
*
Manuel dos Reis Machado
Manuel dos Reis Machado, commonly called Mestre Bimba (; November 23, 1899 – February 5, 1974), was a Brazilian capoeira ''mestre'' (a master practitioner). He founded the '' capoeira regional'' school, one of the art's two main branches.
E ...
*
João Grande
João Oliveira dos Santos (born 15 January 1933), better known as Mestre João Grande, is a Grão-Mestre (Grand Master) of the Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira angola who has contributed to the spread of this art throughout the world. He w ...
*
João Pequeno
References
External links
Mestre Pastinha and the Capoeira Angola StyleMestre Pastinha Playing - CECA 1952
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pastinha, Mestre (Vicente Ferreira)
Capoeira mestres
Afro-Brazilian people
Brazilian people of Spanish descent
1889 births
1981 deaths
People from Bahia