In 1941, Vincente Ferreira Pastinha (1889-1982), known as "Mestre Pastinha" opened the first Capoeira Angola School, The Academia De Capoeira Angola, in 1941 in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
Mestre Pastinha dedicated his school to preserving and continuing the long tradition of this Afro-Brazilian martial art.
For the first time, capoeira began to be taught and practiced openly in a formal setting. He became known as the "Philosopher of capoeira"
because of his many aphorisms. Unfortunately, government authorities, under the pretext of reforming the Largo do Pelourinho, where he had his academy confiscated. Although he was promised a new one,the government never came through.
The final years of his life were sad. Blind and almost abandoned he lived in a small room until his death in 1981 at the age of ninety-two.
Mestre Pastinha, the father and protector of Capoeira Angola, was describing his art form as being, " Whatever the mouth eats ". Many of the surrealistically poetic songs, both sad and happy, that are sung in Rodas today, were written by Mestre Pastinha. He was a master of simile,
and the lyrical content of his songs, like the moves of the game, often disguise another meaning.
Mestre Pastinha wrote a little book called Capoeira Angola and recorded the album Capoeira Angola - Mestre Pastinha e sua Academia.
He gave hundreds of demonstrations, including one in 1966 at the " Premier Festival International des Arts Negres de Dakar (Africa)."
Mestre Pastinha
1889-1982
