Curió Velho

Pedro Virício, known as Curió or "Curió Grande" (Big Curió), was one of the great angoleiros of Santo Amaro and Salvador in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is the patriarch of a four-generation capoeira lineage that produced one of Capoeira Angola's most celebrated guardians: his grandson Mestre Curió.

Pedro Virício earned the apelido "Curió" (a Brazilian songbird known for its melodious voice and fighting spirit) through his prowess in capoeira. The nickname would later pass to his grandson Jaime Martins dos Santos, who inherited not only the name but the distinctive style—locals would say "It's the same game as grandfather!" when watching young Jaime play.

Santo Amaro da Purificação, in the Recôncavo Baiano, was fertile ground for capoeira in Pedro Virício's time. The region produced legendary practitioners including Besouro Mangangá, and the art flourished in the dock areas, church festivals, and rural communities. According to family accounts, Pedro Virício was connected to this tradition, with some sources suggesting he may have been related to an earlier "Besouro de Santo Amaro"—distinct from the famous Besouro Mangangá.

Pedro Virício married and had a son, José Martins dos Santos (later known as Malvadeza), whom he trained in capoeira. Together, Pedro and José would transmit the family tradition to the next generation. Beginning in 1943, when his grandson Jaime was only six years old, Pedro Virício took an active role in teaching the boy capoeira alongside José. Despite his advanced age—likely in his late 60s or early 70s—Pedro remained capable of transmitting the physical and philosophical foundations of Capoeira Angola.

Mestre Curió speaks of his grandfather with reverence, describing him as "um dos grandes angoleiros da cidade de Salvador" (one of the great angoleiros of the city of Salvador). The family's deep roots in capoeira—extending at least to Pedro Virício and possibly to his own father—allowed Curió to declare himself "filho de angoleiro, neto de angoleiro, bisneto de angoleiro" (son, grandson, and great-grandson of capoeira practitioners).

Pedro Virício represents the generation of capoeiristas who practiced during the period of prohibition (1890-1937), when the art was criminalized in Brazil. That he maintained and transmitted the tradition despite legal persecution speaks to his dedication to preserving this cultural heritage.