Mestre Zacarias Boa Morte

Zacarias Boa Morte was Mestre Waldemar's first documented student, beginning his training in 1942 at the legendary Barracão in Corta Braço (later Liberdade), Salvador. "Zacarias foi meu aluno de 1942", Waldemar confirmed in a 1987 interview. Waldemar pointed to Zacarias and José Cabelo Bom as "capoeiristas of the future who will continue his tradition".

Beyond the roda, Zacarias worked as a civil guard (guarda civil). According to Mestre Pelé, Zacarias "looked after" (tomava conta) the rodas in Liberdade on Sunday afternoons—a role that combined his professional authority with his standing in the capoeira community.

On April 11, 1948, photographer Pierre Verger documented a roda at Agnelo's bar in Corta Braço. Researchers have tentatively identified the 24-year-old Zacarias in several of these now-iconic photographs, playing alongside other members of Waldemar's circle.

In November 1954, Zacarias appeared in "Vadiação", the pioneering documentary by Alexandre Robatto Filho, considered a landmark of Brazilian cinema's engagement with capoeira. The 8-minute film featured a roda in Salvador with mestres Bimba and Waldemar, Traíra, Nagé, Curió, Crispim, and Rosendo. Zacarias served as a berimbau player in the bateria, alongside Traíra on pandeiro.

The following year, French anthropologist Simone Dreyfus-Roche came to Salvador on the recommendation of Pierre Verger. On October 31, 1955, she recorded capoeira at Waldemar's Barracão for what would become the LP "Brésil Vol. 2 - Bahia". Zacarias was among the mestres featured on the cover photograph and in the recordings, which won the 1956 Liotard Prize and are now housed in the Musée de l'Homme.

In the Pero Vaz neighborhood, Zacarias ran a gafieira (dance hall) that, alongside Waldemar's Barracão, served as one of two special spaces where capoeira matches and weekend entertainment occurred. Joaquim Fiuza, who was a young man in that era, remembered going to both places—to dance and drink at Zacarias's Gafieira, and to watch the "incredible capoeira presentations" at Waldemar's Barracão.

Zacarias remained active in the capoeira community for decades. In 1984, he participated in Mestre Camisa's landmark event at Circo Voador in Rio de Janeiro—the I Encontro Nacional de Arte-Capoeira—performing alongside mestres João Pequeno and Mucungê. He continued participating in GCAP workshops in the mid-1980s and in March 1998, at age 74, attended the III Encontro dos Guardiões da Capoeira Angola da Bahia.

On May 19, 1999, Zacarias founded Escola Zacarias Boa Morte in Pero Vaz, Salvador—finally institutionalizing his teaching after nearly six decades of practice. He died just 18 months later, on November 3, 2000, two days before his 77th birthday.

"Zacarias is the most beautiful thing there is, humble, good to talk to", Mestre Barba Branca said. "He deserves to be seen playing, on the toes of his feet, the old style". Mestre Pelé sang at his burial, continuing the tradition of honoring departed mestres.