Mestre Limão

Paulo dos Santos was born on July 18, 1945, in Santo Amaro da Purificação, a city in the Recôncavo Baiano renowned for producing legendary capoeiristas including Mestre Traíra and Mestre Caiçara. He learned capoeira as a child in the street rodas, the informal gatherings where capoeira was transmitted from generation to generation. He became a student of Mestre Caiçara, the hard-fighting Angoleiro known for his iconic bengala and famous confrontation with Mestre Bimba.

Limão received his apelido (nickname) from Mestre Canjiquinha because he sold lemons at the market in his youth—a common pattern of nicknames derived from occupations in traditional capoeira.

In 1969, Limão came to São Paulo together with Mestre Caiçara to record the LP "Academia de Capoeira Angola São Jorge dos Irmãos Unidos do Mestre Caiçara". On this recording, Limão played the berimbau gunga "divinamente" (divinely), according to sources. Following this recording and several excellent Capoeira Angola presentations in São Paulo, Limão received from Mestre Caiçara, along with Mestre Silvestre, the coveted title of contra-mestre.

In São Paulo, Limão began frequenting the famous rodas at Praça da República and formed friendships with the community of Bahian capoeiristas who had migrated to the industrial capital: Mestre Joel, Mestre Suassuna, Mestre Brasília, and others. He met Mestre Pinatti, with whom he formed a lasting friendship.

On August 1, 1969, Limão co-founded the Academia de Capoeira São Bento Pequeno with Mestres Pinatti and Paulão—the famous "three Ps" (Pinatti, Paulão, Paulo Limão). This academy was notable for its "Capoeira Angolinha" style, an eclectic approach between Regional and Angola. The academy developed a graduation system using pants colors instead of cordas: black for novice, green for baptized, yellow for intermediate, blue for advanced, and white for the Master.

In 1970, feeling the need to establish his own work, Limão founded the Academia Quilombo dos Palmares on June 1, 1970, on Avenida Morumbi in São Paulo's South Zone. This academy became his primary base and established him as one of the greatest names in capoeira. The academy later moved to Avenida Adolfo Pinheiro in the Santo Amaro district of São Paulo, where it remained for many years.

In 1971, Limão was one of the "Grupo dos Nove" (Group of Nine) recognized by Mestre Bimba as the "Percursores da Capoeira em São Paulo" (Pioneers of Capoeira in São Paulo). When Bimba visited São Paulo at the invitation of Mestre Onça, he symbolically honored these nine mestres: Suassuna, Brasília, Joel, Gilvan, Limão, Silvestre, Pinatti, Zé de Freitas, and Onça himself.

Limão also founded the Praia do Sol group during the 1970s-80s, which established a lineage that continues today through Mestre Marcio and Mestre Paraná.

In 1985, Limão decided to return to his homeland of Bahia and went to work at Usina Paranaguá in Santo Amaro da Purificação. There, he had a confrontation with a man and killed him using a capoeira strike. A trap was set, and Limão was killed in an ambush—"morto à traição" (killed by treachery). He was killed with great cruelty, but left his mark as one of the best capoeiristas Brazil has ever had.

One phrase Mestre Limão frequently said: "Tem aluno e tem discípulo, o discípulo quer pegar toda a essência do Mestre" (There are students and there are disciples; the disciple wants to capture the entire essence of the Master).