Mestre Vinte e Nove

Mestre Vinte e Nove was a direct disciple of Mestre Bimba, the founder of Capoeira Regional. His apelido—meaning "Twenty-Nine" in Portuguese—likely derives from the jogo do bicho, the popular Brazilian numbers game where 29 represents the Camelo (Camel), a symbol of endurance and resilience. Such number-based nicknames were common among capoeiristas of his era in Salvador, with his contemporary Vermelho 27 carrying a similar numerical apelido.

The historical record places Vinte e Nove among the most prominent Capoeira Regional mestres of his generation. In February 1982, O Globo newspaper published an article titled "Capoeira - Uma grande polêmica nas rodas baianas" (Capoeira - A great controversy in the Bahia rodas), documenting the state of capoeira in Salvador. The article surveyed the capoeira landscape by lineage, identifying the leading figures in each tradition. For the "regional" branch, it noted that "almost all were direct disciples of the legendary Bimba", and specifically named Vinte e Nove among the most distinguished mestres. He appears in this documentation alongside Itapuã, Brás Amansa Brabo, Vermelho 27, Medicina, Banduê, Capazans, Ezequiel, and Hélio Xaréu.

This 1982 press coverage confirms that Vinte e Nove had achieved recognition as a mestre and was actively teaching and participating in the Salvador capoeira community at that time. His inclusion in this select list of "prominent" regional mestres indicates he was considered among the leading practitioners carrying forward Bimba's legacy.

Beyond this documentation, little else has been preserved about his life. His full name, precise birth and death dates, the details of his training timeline with Bimba, and information about his own students remain undocumented in available sources. Like several of his contemporaries named in the 1982 article, Vinte e Nove represents a mestre whose individual story has been overshadowed by the more extensively documented figures of the Regional lineage. His presence in this significant press coverage, however, confirms his historical importance as one of the direct links in the chain connecting Mestre Bimba to subsequent generations of Capoeira Regional.