Mestre Formiga

Demerval dos Santos Machado, known as Mestre Formiga ("The Ant"), was a son of Mestre Bimba, the legendary creator of Capoeira Regional, and Dona Nair. He was one of only three of Bimba's thirteen children (seven sons and six daughters) to reach the highest level of mestre in Capoeira Regional—the others being his half-brother Mestre Nenel and their brother Mestre Luís.

As a child, Formiga trained at his father's Centro de Cultura Física Regional in Salvador. In June 1967, he formally graduated alongside his half-brother Nenel, both receiving their formation from their father's hands. Mestre Bimba famously required that all students prove they were either working or show their school report cards before training—a discipline that Formiga later recalled: "Para treinar com meu pai era preciso provar que estava trabalhando ou mostrar o boletim do colégio" ("To train with my father, you had to prove you were working or show your school report card").

In 1973, the Machado family relocated to Goiânia, Goiás, following false promises of opportunity from a former student. When Bimba's health began to decline, the teenage Formiga and Nenel stepped up to continue their father's classes in his place. On February 5, 1974, Mestre Bimba died from a stroke at the Hospital das Clínicas de Goiânia. At the funeral, the adolescent brothers Formiga and Nenel played capoeira as a final tribute to their father—a powerful moment that marked their transition from students to guardians of his legacy.

Beyond his skill as a capoeirista, Formiga worked as an electrician (eletricitário) and was active as a union organizer (sindicalista). He was a notable figure in discussions about capoeira, politically engaged, and brought a working-class perspective to the preservation of his father's art.

Formiga was instrumental in establishing the Fundação Mestre Bimba (FUMEB), serving as one of its founding mentors alongside his brother Nenel. He represented the family at official ceremonies honoring his father, including when Bimba received the Tomé de Souza Medal from the Salvador City Council. On June 12, 1996, when the Federal University of Bahia posthumously awarded Bimba the title of Doutor Honoris Causa, Formiga co-wrote the speech with capoeira researcher Frede Abreu and represented the family at the ceremony.

Reflecting on his father's final years in Goiânia, Formiga famously stated: "Meu pai morreu de banzo (tristeza), por não ver a capoeira respeitada"—"My father died of banzo (sadness), for not seeing capoeira respected". Banzo is a term of African origin describing a profound homesickness and despair, particularly associated with enslaved Africans. His use of this word captured both the depth of Bimba's suffering and the historical memory that runs through capoeira.

Mestre Formiga passed away in 2003, leaving behind a legacy as one of the direct links to Mestre Bimba's authentic Capoeira Regional methodology.