Mestre Gato Preto

José Gabriel Góes was born on March 19, 1930, on Rua do Pilar in Santo Amaro da Purificação, Bahia—the same town that produced Besouro Mangangá and Cobrinha Verde. His father, Eutíquio Lúcio Góes, was himself a respected capoeirista, and it was under his tutelage that young José began learning capoeira at just eight years old in 1938.

The training was rigorous. In a small enclosed room, his father would attack him with a maculelê stick or machete to make him learn to defend himself. When José made mistakes, he was corrected—until one day he delivered such a powerful cabeçada that his father fell. After that, his father stopped teaching him. His uncle João Catarino, a student of the legendary Besouro Mangangá, continued his education until João Catarino died of a hemorrhage.

In 1942, at around age 12, José moved to São Braz, where he began studying with Mestre Léo. By then, people already said he had nothing left to learn. At seventeen, he moved to Salvador, where he became a disciple of Mestre Cobrinha Verde, also from Santo Amaro. This relationship would define his career.

From 1950-1951, Gato Preto served as contra-mestre de bateria at Mestre Pastinha's academy—assistant master of the percussion ensemble. From 1952-1954, he held the same position at Cobrinha Verde's Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola Dois de Julho. He was also trained by Mestre Waldemar da Paixão during this period.

In 1955, at around age 25, Gato Preto founded his own academy—Academia de Capoeira Baiana—becoming one of the youngest mestres when the first formal academies emerged. From 1958-1967, he operated at Mirante da Barra in Salvador.

His international debut came on April 21, 1960, when he performed at the inauguration of Brasília. He also performed for President João Goulart. In 1961, he began touring Brazil extensively, including shows for Manchete magazine and the Festa do Candango.

In April 1966, Gato Preto achieved a historic milestone: he traveled to Dakar, Senegal, as part of the Brazilian delegation to the I Festival Mundial das Artes Negras. Under the command of the nearly blind Mestre Pastinha, alongside João Grande, Gildo Alfinete, Roberto Satanás, Camafeu de Oxossi, and babalorixá Olga de Alaketu, he performed for 10,000 people at Friendship Stadium. This was the first time capoeira had been brought to Africa. Pastinha could not perform due to his health, so Gato Preto, Roberto Satanás, and Gildo were the main players, while Camafeu played berimbau. A local African musician reportedly told them: "Capoeira is in Brasil, your capoeira angola is in Brasil. Our people took it there and now you are showing it here". Gato Preto himself later expressed disappointment discovering capoeira did not exist in Africa.

The historic LP "Capoeira" (1962), released by Editora Xauã, featured Gato Preto alongside Mestres Traíra and Cobrinha Verde. Recorded at Mestre Waldemar's barracão with photographs taken at the Rampa do Mercado Modelo, this recording is considered one of the earliest musical documents of capoeira.

Gato Preto was not just a capoeirista—he was a cultural ambassador. He brought maculelê from his homeland of Santo Amaro to the wider world, teaching it throughout Brazil. He was also an expert atabaque player and served as ogã huntó at the traditional Gêge nation terreiro, Zogodô Bogum Malê Rundó (Terreiro do Bogum), since the time of the former Mãe Runhó.

In 1970, he won the Berimbau de Ouro at the Festival Folclórico de Capoeira e Toques de Berimbau, competing against other Brazilian mestres including Canjiquinha and Vermelho 27. Writer Jorge Amado immortalized him in his books. He traveled internationally to France, Portugal, United States, Mexico, Korea, Nigeria, and elsewhere.

In the 1970s, Gato Preto operated academies at Rua do Báu in Garcia and Boca do Rio, taught by his students including Espinho Remoso. By July 1976, he participated in the "African Diaspora" festival in the United States with Olga de Alaketu and others. Later that year, at age 46, he was relocating to Brasília to establish a new academy.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he taught in São Paulo at SESC Ipiranga with his disciple Contramestre Pinguim (Luiz Antonio Nascimento Cardoso). In 2001, Pinguim received the title of contramestre of capoeira at the Terreiro do Bogum in Salvador, awarded by Gato Preto himself.

Beyond capoeira, Gato Preto worked as a fisherman, frame-layer, blacksmith, and master berimbau maker—noted as exceptionally skilled in the latter craft. He worked in capoeira for over 40 years without monetary compensation, driven purely by love of the art.

Mestre Zé Baiano wrote in 1984: "With him I perfected my knowledge of Capoeira Angola and everything involving it: song rhythm, game, battery formation, social coexistence and fundamentals".

Gato Preto had two sons who continued his legacy: Sinésio Souza Góes (Mestre Gato II, born September 7, 1950) and José Souza Góes (Mestre Zeca, also known as Gatinho or Gato III, born April 16, 1956). He had only one sibling: Carlos "Cazoza" Góes (born 1932).

Mestre Gato Preto died on August 6, 2002, in Salvador. A monument called "Arena da Capoeira" featuring his statue stands in Salvador, Bahia—permanent testament to his influence. His legacy continues through students like Mestre Mau (Marcelino), Mestre Boa Gente, Contramestre Pinguim, and through his sons who carry forward the family tradition.