Mestre Virgílio de Ilhéus

José Virgílio dos Santos was born on June 26, 1934, in Ilhéus, a port city in southern Bahia known for its cacao trade. Unlike most prominent capoeira mestres whose histories center on Salvador and the Recôncavo, Virgílio's entire capoeira journey unfolded in his native region—making him a unique figure in capoeira history.

On July 28, 1944, at the age of nine or ten, young Virgílio was initiated into capoeira by Mestre Caranha. There were no formal capoeira academies in Ilhéus at the time—the art was taught on the streets, transmitted the way it had been for generations: through observation in the roda and direct practice. Beyond Caranha, Virgílio learned from a constellation of local mestres: Chico da Onça, Claudemiro, Álvaro, Elíscio, João Valença, and Barreto. Each contributed to his formation as a capoeirista.

In the 1950s, Mestre João Grande visited Ilhéus. João Grande himself had been born in the nearby village of Itagi, and though he had moved to Salvador to train under Pastinha, he maintained connections to his southern Bahian homeland. It was João Grande who recognized Virgílio's skill and granted him the rank of contra-mestre—locally, João Grande was known as "João Bate-Estaca".

Throughout his life, Virgílio worked various jobs and traveled through several Brazilian cities, always maintaining contact with capoeira. But Ilhéus remained his base, and he dedicated himself to preserving and transmitting Capoeira Angola in the region.

In 2002, Virgílio founded the Associação de Capoeira Angola Mucumbo (ACAM), establishing a formal structure for capoeira training in Ilhéus. The association supported projects with children and adolescents, using capoeira as a tool for cultural preservation and social development. On December 28, 2004, he also founded the União de Capoeiristas do Sul da Bahia (UCASUB), serving as its first president, though he later departed from that organization.

Beyond ACAM, Virgílio taught Capoeira Angola at the Teatro Popular de Ilhéus and at the Terreiro de Matamba Tombenci Neto in the Alto da Conquista neighborhood—one of the oldest Candomblé terreiros in Bahia, with roots stretching back to 1885. This partnership with the terreiro reflected the deep connections between capoeira and Afro-Brazilian spirituality.

A prolific composer, Virgílio released an album of original songs, "Velho Angoleiro: Ladainhas e Corridos," in 2007 through the Capoeira Viva project. The CD featured approximately 20 compositions documenting his musical legacy.

For his lifetime dedication to the art of capoeira and the transmission of Afro-Brazilian culture, the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC) awarded him the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in 2021. The honor was proposed by Professor Camila Righetto Cassano and approved unanimously by CONSU on August 4, 2020, with the ceremony held on August 23, 2021. Professor Sanqueilo de Lima Santos emphasized that Virgílio represented "one of the oldest active Capoeira Angola masters, uniquely distinguished by his history outside the Salvador-Recôncavo region."

Virgílio trained hundreds of students throughout his career, ensuring that the Capoeira Angola tradition would continue in southern Bahia.

On March 12, 2024, Mestre Virgílio suffered a stroke and was hospitalized at the Hospital Regional Costa do Cacau. He passed away on March 17, 2024, at the age of 89. At his death, he was the oldest representative of the old guard of Capoeira Angola in Ilhéus.