Mestre Pastinha
| Vicente Ferreira Pastinha | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 5, 1889 Salvador, Bahia |
| Died | November 13, 1981 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Brazilian |
| Other names | "110" |
| Alma mater | Na Escola de Aprendiz Marinheiro da Bahia (Navy) Liceu de Artes e Ofício school Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola (CECA) |
| Occupation | shoeshiner, tailor, gold prospector, security guard |
| Known for | Mestre Capoeira |
Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (commonly called Mestre Pastinha) (April 5, 1889, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil – November 13, 1981) was a mestre (a master practitioner) of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira.
Pastinha was born to José Pastinha (born Pastiña), a poor Spanish immigrant 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 African named Benedito. 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 classes at the Liceu de Artes e Ofício school where he learned to paint; afternoons were spent playing with kites and practicing Capoeira. He continued his training with Benedito for three more years.
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), 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. His students would wear black pants and yellow T-shirts, the same color as the Esporte Clube Ypiranga, 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.
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