Build your Own Archive: The "Velha Guarda" According to Rego

   

“Capoiera Angola - Ensaio Sócio Etnografico” written by Brazilian ethnologist Waldeloir Rego and published in 1968 is one of the seminal studies regarding the art form and one of the most important documents that exists today about capoeira.

The book is packed with a lot of information about capoeira, including the history of capoeira, the origin of the word and basics about the instruments played, but perhaps most interesting to us capoeiristas is the long compilation of songs and the following discussion about the capoeiristas mentioned in each song, from the chapter “Famous Capoeiras and their Behaviour in the Social Community".

We've already published his writings about Mestre Joao Grande. Here is what Rego had to say about some other capoeiras of the time:

Pedro Mineiro was well-known among the capoeiristas… Also making a name in Bahia were Chico da Barra, Ajé, Chico Cazumbá, Ricardo das Docas, Antônio Maré, Zé Bom Pé, Vitorino Braço Torto, Raimundo Cachoeira, Zacaria Grande, Nôzinho, Bilusca, Piroca Peixoto, Zé do Saco, Samual da Calçada, Sete Mortes, Aberrê, Patu das Pedreiras, Hilário Chapeleiro, Cassiano Balão, Bigode de Sêda, Doze Homens, Tiburcinho de Jaguaripe, Zeca Cidade de Palha, Nô da Emprêsa de Carruagem, Pacífico do Rio Vermelho, Bichiguinha, Chico Me Dá, Edgar Chicharro, Inimigo Sem Tripa, Giote, Neco Canário Pardo, Bôca de Porco, Dendê, Gazolina, Espinho, Dadá e Siri de Mangue.

Pedro Porreta became a synonymous with disorder and bullying. When I was a young boy, I heard many older people speak of this capoeira and when a child was difficult and liked to beat up the other children, they would reprimand him by asking whether he was Pedro Porreta.

Canjiquinha (Wasington Bruno da Silva) told me that Chico Três was an enemy of another capoeirista called Matatu. One day, he set a trap for his enemy. He hid around the corner of Rua do Engenho Velho, right at the entrance for those who were going to Boa Vista mansion, today known as the São João de Deus asylum, and when Matatu approached, distracted, he stabbed him in the chest, put the knife hit his clavicle, breaking it into three pieces. Matuto escaped death and the other became known as Chico Três Pedaços.

Najé was another famous capoeirista from Coqueiro de Paraguaçu, but because he liked to go the city of Najé, this became his knickname. He was also close with people who practiced candomblé, so much so that when they saw him they used to joke, singing:

Najé
Najé, Najé
Ogun Já orô!

This song relates to Ogun Já, an aspect of Ogun whose principle characteristic is the sacrifice of dogs, a rare practice, whose processes and songs differ from the rest, although here I do not have the space to go into further detail.

How did the people in your group get their knicknames? Hopefully in a less dramatic and painful way than Chico Três Pedaços.

This book is actually out-of-print and very difficult to find. There are some downloadable versions out there. If you do come across a hardcover copy, protect it with all your pieces, as it is an important part of our heritage.

We'll present more about the "velha guarda" of capoeira from this great book in the future.
   

Build Your Own Archives: Mandinga, Manha & Malícia

Torpedeira Piauí
Coraçada na Bahia
Marinheiro absoluto
Chegou pintando arrelia
Quando vê cobra assanhada
Não mete o pé na rodia
Que a cobra assanhada morde
Se eu fosse a cobra eu mordia
Mataram Pedro Mineiro
Dentro da Secretaria

Adriana Albert Dias, a.k.a Pimentinha in the rodas of Salvador, is the author of the book Mandinga, Manha & Malícia: uma história sobre os capoeiras na capital da Bahia (1910-1925). It is a work that grew out of her masters thesis in history with the Federal University of Bahia.

Pimentinha does an excellent job documenting life in Salvador during this time, examining where the capoeiristas lived, with who they spent their time, what jobs they performed, and how they interacted with the authorities. Through her careful research of primary sources, journal articles, and interviews with people who lived during this time, she shows us how capoeiristas used mandinga and cunning in their everyday dealings as well as in capoeira rodas- and how this permeated the practice of capoeira, from its play to its songs and rhythms.

The above ladainha opens the chapter of the book that examines the life and times of the famous Pedro Mineiro. Here’s a bit of what Pimentinha writes about him:

He was not a native of the state of Bahia, having been born around 1887 in the city of Ouro Preto, in the state of Minas Gerais, because of this he was known by the knickname Pedro Mineiro. When he was around 20 years old he was already living in Salvador; he knew how to read and write, he lived in the Pilar neighborhood, and he worked as a porter and seaman. He was known among the authorities due to his bullying behavior and his exploits around the city of Salvador. His name often appeared in the police column of the Bahian newspapers, being referred to as thief, troublemaker, criminal, and celebrity rabble-rouser. The main stage of his adventures was the Cais Dourado, but he also often visited the “27 of Tabuão” and Galinho’s Bar. He caused trouble with all sorts of people; other capoeiras, women, troublemakers, regular folks, sailors, and principally, the police.

One of his many exploits inspired the above ladainha. In what became known as the “crime of Saldanha” (o crime do Saldanha, because it happened on Rua do Saldanha), Pedro Mineiro and some of his buddies confronted a group of sailors:

On December 26, another shoot-out occurred between some capoeiras and a group of soldiers from the torpedo boat, Piauhy that had arrived from Rio de Janeiro three months before. The scene of the trouble was Galinho’s Bar, where the sailors were eating dinner when they were attacked by the capoeiras Pedro Mineiro, Sebastião de Souza, and an individual named Antônio José Freire, also known as Branco…

… The shoot-out lasted about fifteen minutes, causing a huge commotion and much panic. All of the bars, stores, warehouses, and residences in the area closed their doors and windows. In the fighting, two sailors were killed…

The rest of the sailors, all wounded, escaped and made their way back to the boat. Pedro Mineiro, Sebastião, and Branco tried to flee through the streets of Sé, but were captured by the police and by-standers, and then taken to the nearest police station and from there transferred to the Secretary of Public Safety.

No one knows for certain what drove Pedro Mineiro and his friends to go after the sailors; was it a fight over a woman? Did the local police chief contract the capoeiristas to attack the sailors to avenge a past slight? In any case, a few days following the fight, there was a public inquisition of the three capoeiristas at the Secretary of Public Security. While they were answering questions about the attack:

… the unthinkable happened: one of the Piauhy sailors, feeling insulted, shot Pedro Mineiro right inside the police headquarters, in front of the authorities. As such, the accused, Pedro Mineiro, also became a victim with serious wounds...

Apparently, the attack provoked enormous confusion, with more than twenty police soldiers, sailors, justice officials, and the deputy falling over themselves in the rush, a situation which allowed for the escape of Branco and Sebastião… [Sebastião] was chased by a sailor until the Rua da Faísca, where he was stabbed so deeply in the back that his kidneys were reached.

It seems that Branco made a successful escape. The sailors involved were not taken into custody because they were subject to maritime law, and therefore, it was the responsibility of their captain to decide their fate.

The attack on Pedro Mineiro and Sebastião made headlines in the local papers, and the city was kept abreast of Pedro Mineiro’s deteriorating condition. In the meantime, the police chief and the captain of the Piauhy exchanged angry letters accusing each other of incompetence. After a thwarted attempt at suicide, reported in the local papers, Pedro Mineiro succumbed to his wounds and died on January 15.

Pedro José Viera passed away at the Saint Isabel Hospital due to a bullet that was impossible to remove from his body… He was 27 years old, and was buried in the Quinta dos Lázaros cemetery.

And there you have it. A significant story in capoeira history thanks to the efforts of Pimentinha.

This is a great book that is packed full of information. Its written in Portuguese, but don't be intimidated if your Portuguese is not perfect. Pimentinha has written in a very readable style that is easy on the brain. You are going to be amazed at all the great information that Pimentinha provides through her thorough research.

One More Time: Pedro Mineiro & the Piauí

Another version of the ladainha remembering the death of Pedro Mineiro, found in the FICA-DC music archives:

Torpedeira Piauí
Encouraçado na Bahia
Mataram Pedro Mineiro
Dentro da secretaria
O homem era valente
Se não matasse, morria, camaradinha!