Mestre Cafuné

Sérgio Fachinetti Dória, known as Mestre Cafuné, was born in 1938 in Salvador, Bahia. He works as a carpenter (marceneiro) and has dedicated over five decades to capoeira.

In 1966, Cafuné read an interview with Mestre Bimba in a newspaper and was inspired to seek out the legendary creator of Capoeira Regional. He traveled a considerable distance from the Polo Petroquímico de Camaçari, where he worked, to the historic Pelourinho district in Salvador. He recalls being a timid, fearful person at the time: "I passed through Baixa dos Sapateiros with fear and climbed the hill with my legs trembling".

When he first knocked on the door of Bimba's Centro de Cultura Física Regional, he was turned away. He soon discovered a small sign on the door that read: "Visit, 2 thousand cruzeiros. Monthly fee, 2 thousand cruzeiros". Rather than pay for a mere visit, Cafuné decided to pay the monthly fee and returned to enroll as a student. Bimba gave him his first lesson that day.

From his very first class, Bimba imparted wisdom that extended beyond physical technique: "When you arrive somewhere, don't enter immediately. First you observe, see when you can enter, when you can exit, be careful". This teaching became a guiding philosophy for Cafuné: "He taught us to have respect for spaces, be more observant, more balanced—it's something with a very broad meaning".

Cafuné remained a student at Bimba's academy until the master departed for Goiânia in 1971, heartbroken by the lack of government support in Bahia. During this time, the batizado ceremonies took place on Sundays at the academy in Nordeste de Amaralina. It was at his batizado that Bimba personally bestowed his nickname: after Cafuné's first game in a complete roda, the master declared, "his name is Cafuné—he doesn't play capoeira, he does cafuné" (referring to a gentle caress). And so his identity in capoeira was born.

Cafuné graduated (formatura) in August 1967, earning the right to teach.

In the 1980s, Cafuné sought a tranquil place to live and moved to Lauro de Freitas, a municipality just north of Salvador. He bought a small property (sítio) on the banks of the Ipitanga River, which at the time was clean and full of fish. After a partnership that did not work out, he eventually moved to the Araqui community in Lauro de Freitas, where he established his woodworking shop and continues to reside today.

Cafuné has three children and three grandchildren. He practices Candomblé, maintaining the connection between capoeira and Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions that was so important to Mestre Bimba himself.

In December 2011, Cafuné published "Ele não joga capoeira, ele faz cafuné: histórias da academia do Mestre Bimba" (He doesn't play capoeira, he does cafuné: stories from Mestre Bimba's academy) through EDUFBA (Editora da Universidade Federal da Bahia). The 107-page book collects articles originally written for a specialized capoeira magazine, bringing together memories, recollections, and emotions from his time as Bimba's student. It includes a photo booklet of the master and presents a critical examination of capoeira's history as "a form of struggle for Black people" during slavery.

Cafuné is a member of the Curator Council (Conselho Curador) of the Fundação Mestre Bimba. He has served three times as vice president of the foundation, once as secretary, and once as public relations director. He also works with Mestre Nenel at Filhos de Bimba Escola de Capoeira, traveling throughout Brazil and internationally to conduct workshops and lectures for groups exceeding 200 young people.

Speaking about Mestre Bimba's legacy, Cafuné has clarified a common misconception: "Many people say Bimba died in misery, but this isn't exactly true. At the time of his death, Bimba was sustaining at least three families in three separate houses that he owned". He notes that Bimba had "more than 200 disciples and 600 students", but laments that some students lost their reference and stopped practicing capoeira after the master's death: "He was who encouraged us to continue".

For Cafuné, keeping Capoeira Regional alive is a form of resistance. He notes the ongoing difficulty in obtaining effective support for capoeira, stating that "the political class does not value the practice". Despite these challenges, he continues to affirm that the capoeira represents "a divisor of waters" (a watershed moment) in his life.

In January 2024, at 85 years old, Mestre Cafuné was among 14 octogenarian capoeira masters honored at the 5º Rede Capoeira event in Salvador. He received a symbolic Sankofa bird sculpture alongside legendary figures including Mestre João Grande (91), Mestre Acordeon (80), Mestre Boca Rica (87), Mestre Brandão (94), and Mestre Felipe de Santo Amaro (96).

In the municipality of Lauro de Freitas where he resides, Cafuné collaborates with existing capoeira groups regardless of whether they practice Angola, Regional, or any other style—helping organize groups through lectures and participating in workshops and courses.