Capoeira - Mester Pastinha founder of the first organized Angola academy

The son of Jos้ Se๑or Pastinha and Eug๊nia Maria de Carvalho, Vicente Ferreira Pastinha was born on April 5th, 1889 in Salvador-BA, Brazil. Mestre Pastinha was exposed to capoeira at the age of 8 by an African name Benedito. An older and stronger boy from Pastinha's neighborhood use to beat him up often. One day Benedito saw the aggression then told Pastinha to stop by his house that he was going to teach him few things. The next encounter with that boy, Pastinha defeated him so quickly that the older boy became his admirer. Mestre Pastinha had a happy and modest childhood.

During the mourning he would take art classes at the Liceu de Artes e Ofํcio school where he learned to paint; during the afternoons he would play with kites and practice capoeira. He continued his training with Benedito for three more years. Later, he joined a sailor school by his father wish, which would not support the capoeira practice. At the school, he use to teach capoeira to his friends. At the age of 21, he left the sailor school to become a professional painter. During the spare time he would practice capoeira stealthily, since it was still illegal at that time. In 1941, by Aberr๊ (Patinha's ex student) invitation, Pastinha went to a Sunday roda at "ladeira do Gengibirra" located at bairro da Liberdade, where the best masters would hang out.

Aberr๊ was already famous on these rodas, and after spending the afternoon there, one of the greatest master of Bahia, mestre Amorzinho, asked Pastinha to take over the Capoeira Angola. As a result, in 1942 Pastinha found the first Angola school, the "Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola", located at the Pelourinho.

His students would wear black pants and yellow t-shirt, the same color of the "Ypiranga Futebol Clube", his favorite soccer time. He participated with the Brazilian delegation of the "First International Festival de Artes Negras" in Dakar, Senegal(1966), bringing with him Mestre Joใo Grande, Mestre Gato Preto, Mestre Gildo Alfinete, Mestre Roberto Satanแs and Camafeu de Oxossi. Pastinha worked as shoe shiner, tailor, gold prospector, security guard (leใo de chแcara) at a gambling house (casa de jogo) and construction worker at the "Porto de Salvador" to maintain him financially so he could do what he loved the most, be an Angoleiro. Betrayed by local authorities false promises and with no support, Pastinha was left abandoned in a city shelter (abrigo D. Pedro II - Salvador), blind and very sick. He dedicated his entire life to capoeira angola, and in April 12th, 1981, he played his last capoeira game. Mestre Pastinha, the father and protector of Capoeira Angola, died at the age of 92, in November 13th, 1981.