Mestre Onça Negra

Laurindo Dario dos Santos, known as Mestre Onça Negra, was a student of Mestre Bimba who graduated as aluno formado from the Centro de Cultura Física Regional in Salvador in 1969. He was one of four graduation companions that year, alongside Camisa (José Tadeu Carneiro Cardoso), Macarrão, and Torpedo. The formatura ceremony took place at Mestre Bimba's site in Nordeste de Amaralina and featured the traditional rituals of Capoeira Regional: stories told by Mestre Bimba, the prova de fogo (trial by fire), demonstrations of cintura desprezada, benguela games, matches with renowned capoeiristas and senior graduates, and samba de roda until dawn.

Onça Negra was also part of the broader training group at Bimba's academy that included Pimentão, Nenel (Bimba's son), Formiga, and Demerval. These were the younger generation training alongside already-graduated students such as Canhão, Alegria, Luís, Quebra Ferro, Malvadeza, Valdemar, and Sarigue.

Following Mestre Bimba's move to Goiânia in 1973 and death in 1974, several of his students established themselves in the state of Goiás, maintaining and teaching Capoeira Regional. Mestre Onça Negra became associated with Grupo Bimba meu Mestre, based in Goiânia—one of the groups that preserve traditional Regional teachings closest to Bimba's original methodology.

In 2014, Onça Negra collaborated with Mestre Deputado to record the CD "Bimba Meu Mestre", featuring traditional capoeira music including toques such as São Bento Grande da Regional, Barravento, and Cabula. The album pays tribute to the Regional tradition and preserves important musical elements of Bimba's legacy.

Mestre Onça Negra participated in the Second Encontro de Amigos CDO Goiás event in Goiânia, where he was listed among veteran and renowned mestres representing the traditional segment of Capoeira Regional, alongside figures such as Suassuna, Brasília, Deputado, and Cobra Mansa.

He should not be confused with Mestre Onça Preta (Cícero Navarro, 1909-2006), who was an Angola mestre from Salvador.