Mestre Nenei

Mestre Nenei is a capoeirista from Salvador, Bahia, who trained under Mestre Salário Mínimo—a direct student of Mestre Bimba, the creator of Capoeira Regional. Through this lineage, Nenei represents the second generation of capoeiristas carrying forward Bimba's teachings after the founder's death in 1974.

Nenei's most significant contribution to capoeira history is his role as the first teacher of his son, Mestre Kiki da Bahia. Together with Kiki's uncle (whose identity remains undocumented), Nenei began teaching Kiki the art of Capoeira Regional when Kiki was just eight years old in Salvador. This early training laid the foundation for Kiki's later formal studies with Mestre Itapoan, one of the preeminent authorities on Capoeira Regional.

The lineage connection is historically significant: Mestre Bimba trained Mestre Salário Mínimo, who trained Mestre Nenei, who in turn raised Mestre Kiki da Bahia in the art. When Kiki brought Ginga Associação de Capoeira to the United States in 1996, this branch of Bimba's Capoeira Regional crossed the Atlantic, establishing a direct link between Salvador's capoeira traditions and the American capoeira community.

Note: Mestre Nenei should not be confused with Mestre Nenel (Manoel Nascimento Machado), the son of Mestre Bimba who was born in 1960 and founded the Fundação Mestre Bimba in Salvador. Despite the similar-sounding apelidos, they are different individuals with different lineages.