Mestre Zé de Freitas

José de Freitas was born on April 29, 1926, in Macaquinhos, a small locality in Bahia. In 1946, at the age of 20, he began learning capoeira under Mestre Caiçara, the hard-fighting Angoleiro known for his iconic bengala (walking cane). After some time, Caiçara introduced him to the legendary Mestre Waldemar Rodrigues da Paixão, known as "o Poeta" (the Poet), at the famous Barracão in Liberdade, Salvador. Under Waldemar's tutelage, Zé de Freitas refined his technique and musical skills, becoming his disciple.

In 1959, Zé de Freitas arrived in São Paulo—still during the era when capoeira was prohibited. His beginnings were humble: he started teaching capoeira in a small corridor of a boarding house (pensão) in the Mooca neighborhood, measuring only about 3 meters by 2 meters. Despite these modest circumstances, he persisted.

He later established himself at the CMTC Club (Companhia Municipal de Transportes Coletivos), where in addition to capoeira he taught freestyle wrestling (luta livre). The CMTC Club became a pivotal meeting point for Bahian capoeiristas arriving in São Paulo. It was at his classes there that capoeiristas like Mestre Brasília, Mestre Suassuna, and Mestre Joel first met—an encounter that would shape the future of São Paulo capoeira.

Mestre Pinatti, one of the few native paulistas dedicated to capoeira in the 1960s, consolidated his capoeira learning with Zé de Freitas and through him connected with the Bahian community. Zé de Freitas served as a unifier of capoeiristas in São Paulo, bridging different backgrounds and traditions.

In São Paulo, he founded his own academy: the Associação de Lutas Unidas Capoeira Freitas, located in the Sapopemba neighborhood. This academy trained a generation of important capoeiristas including Mestre Pinatti, Mestre Joel, Mestre Mello, Mestre Serginho, and Mestre Dulcídio, who later assumed leadership of the group.

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

In 1974, the Federação Paulista de Capoeira was founded—the first capoeira federation in the world. Zé de Freitas's academy was one of the eight founding associations, alongside K'Poeira, São Bento Pequeno, São Bento Grande, Cordão de Ouro, Quilombo dos Palmares, Vera Cruz, and Ilha de Itapuã.

Beyond teaching, Mestre Freitas had a colorful career outside capoeira. He participated in telenovelas (Brazilian soap operas) and worked as a security guard for Manoel da Nóbrega, the main comedian of the popular TV show "Praça da Alegria". Most notably, he was one of the trainers of soccer legend Pelé for the 1972 film "A Marcha de Chico Bondade".

After 40 years in São Paulo (1959-1999), Zé de Freitas returned to his homeland, settling in Alagoinhas, Bahia. His last visit to São Paulo was in June 2007, when he participated in the documentary "Reunião dos 9" (Reunion of the Nine), which sought to preserve the history of São Paulo capoeira. He was accompanied by his eternal student and friend Mestre Dulcídio throughout the trip.

In August 2009, a tribute event was held in his honor at Escola Vera Cruz in Vila Leopoldina, São Paulo. Organized by his students and the capoeira community, the event featured a roundtable discussion, classes by Mestre Brasília, a capoeira roda, and a presentation on the "Ação Griô" memory preservation project. The event was filmed for a DVD, with proceeds benefiting Mestre Freitas.

At age 88, Zé de Freitas was reported to be living in Alagoinhas with vision problems that prevented him from actively teaching. He is considered one of the most important pioneers who brought capoeira to São Paulo and established the foundation for the art's development in Brazil's largest city.