Luiz Cândido Machado

Luiz Cândido Machado was a formerly enslaved man of Bantu descent who became a renowned champion of batuque in late 19th century Bahia. Sources describe him as a "caboclo de Feira de Santana" (a person of mixed African and indigenous heritage from the interior Bahian city of Feira de Santana), though other sources emphasize his Bantu African lineage.

Batuque was a combat game of predominantly Angolan origins that flourished in Bahia before becoming extinct in the early 20th century. The game was fought in circles, with one player defending a central position while attackers attempted to knock them down using sweeping techniques, hip strikes, and powerful leg movements. Edison Carneiro documented that batuque was played to berimbau, tambourine, scraper, and singing—sharing musical elements with capoeira. Techniques included rapa, baú, banda lisa, and encruzilhada.

By the time his son Manoel dos Reis Machado (Mestre Bimba) was born in 1899, Luiz Cândido was already celebrated at street festivals (festas de largo) as a "great batuqueiro" and a "champion of batuque". His reputation was such that he was known throughout Salvador's black community.

Luiz Cândido taught batuque to his son Bimba. The young Bimba learned from his father and also observed his mother Maria Martinha do Bonfim, who was respected among batuqueiros and was said to be "boa de perna" (good with her legs).

In an interview documented by Waldeloir Rego in his 1968 book "Capoeira Angola: Ensaio Sócio-Etnográfico", Bimba himself stated that he drew upon batuque techniques when creating Capoeira Regional. When asked about his influences, Bimba replied (in Portuguese): "se valeu de golpes de Batuque, como Banda armada, Banda fechada, Encruzilhada, Rapa, Cruz de carreira e Baú" (that he made use of batuque strikes, such as Banda armada, Banda fechada, Encruzilhada, Rapa, Cruz de carreira and Baú). This provides direct evidence that Bimba consciously incorporated techniques from the batuque tradition his father had taught him.

Nestor Capoeira, in his writings on capoeira history, further argues that many of the rasteiras (leg sweeps) that distinguish Regional from Angola likely derive from batuque.

Little else is documented about Luiz Cândido's life. The date of his death is unknown. What is certain is that he was a master of an extinct African-derived combat art, and that his son grew up observing and learning this tradition.