Mestre Felipe de Santo Amaro

Felipe Santiago was born on May 11, 1927, in the Pilar neighborhood of Santo Amaro da Purificação, in the Recôncavo Baiano region of Bahia. He was born to Maria Quintiliana dos Santos and Pedro Celestino dos Anjos, who was a dock worker (estivador) and samba musician. Of twenty siblings, only Felipe survived. He lost his mother in 1940 and his father in 1942, leaving him orphaned as a teenager.

Despite these hardships, young Felipe found solace in the cultural traditions around him. From 1944, influenced by his father's musical legacy, he began participating in samba circles with friends in Santo Amaro. These gatherings connected him to the living pulse of Afro-Brazilian culture in the Recôncavo.

In 1945, at age eighteen, Felipe began practicing capoeira with Mestre Arlindo, a respected angoleiro in Santo Amaro. Two years later, in 1947, he advanced his training under Mestre Vivi de Popó, with whom he perfected his techniques and skills. Mestre Vivi de Popó was among the pioneers of capoeira at the Bembé do Mercado festival, alongside Mestre Amaral. According to the Federal University of Recôncavo Baiano (UFRB), Felipe also studied at the famous school of Mestre Pastinha in Salvador, placing him within the direct lineage of the "Father of Capoeira Angola."

What makes Felipe truly extraordinary is his living memory of Santo Amaro's legendary capoeira past. He carries firsthand recollections of Besouro Mangangá, the mythic capoeirista who died in 1924 when Felipe was just three years old—too young for direct interaction but old enough to absorb the oral traditions and stories that circulated through the community. His memories also include Nôca de Jacó (a documented figure from that era), Mestre Popó do Maculelê (who encouraged him to join Capoeira Angola), and "the tragedy of the Municipal Market"—an event documented in his biography whose details remain to be fully recorded.

Felipe's relationship with Mestre Popó de Maculelê is particularly significant. Popó (1876-1969) was the legendary figure who revived maculelê in 1943 and is credited with preserving that Afro-Brazilian art form. His encouragement helped guide Felipe toward Capoeira Angola, connecting two of Santo Amaro's most important cultural preservation efforts.

Felipe became an exquisite singer, composer, and berimbau player. His musical contributions span decades of recording work:

In 1988, he participated in the "Documento Sonoro do Folclore Brasileiro" (Documentary Sound of Brazilian Folklore) led by Mestre Vavá, recorded between 1984-1988 in Santo Amaro. This academic recording project preserved the authentic sounds of berimbau and capoeira from the region.

In 2001, he appeared on the CD "Salve Deus e Salve a Pátria." In 2003, he was featured on "Vamos Vencer Camará." In 2004, he collaborated with Mestre Cláudio da Feira to record "Angoleiros do Sertão e do Recôncavo," produced by Omri Ferradura Breda (Mestre Ferradura), bringing together the traditions of the Bahian sertão and the Recôncavo.

In 2019, he participated in the "Mestres Navegantes: Bahia vol.1" project alongside Mestre Curió and Mestre Adó, a curated collection preserving traditional manifestations of capoeira angola and candomblé. In 2020, at age 93, he released "O Que É do Homem o Bicho Não Come."

Beyond his recordings, Felipe has maintained connections with capoeira researchers and practitioners from around Brazil. He is documented as part of the "velha guarda" (old guard) of capoeira angola who collaborated with Mestre Marrom of Rio de Janeiro in the 1990s-2000s, alongside Mestres Gato Preto, Bigodinho, Boca Rica, Brandão, and João Grande. Their collaboration resulted in recordings that preserve the voices and music of traditional capoeira for future generations.

Felipe is a regular presence at the Bembé do Mercado, the annual celebration held on May 13th that commemorates the abolition of slavery, which has taken place in Santo Amaro since 1889. The capoeira component of the festival traces to Mestre Amaral and Mestre Vivi as pioneers.

In his later years, Felipe was raised by his foster daughter Simone Souza, who has lived with him for over 33 years and documented his life story. She launched his biography "Mestre Felipe: Eu Nasci em Santo Amaro, Relatos Biográficos e Memórias" (I Was Born in Santo Amaro, Biographical Accounts and Memories) as an independent production in early 2024. The book covers his childhood through his insertion in music and Capoeira Angola, his relationship with family, work history, musical influences, and his capoeira masters.

His philosophy is simple and profound: "Capoeira is my medicine," he says. He has never stopped practicing. Despite age-related physical limitations, he continues to sing, play berimbau, and participate in capoeira circles. He believes capoeira has historically fought racism and "helped to create respect and unity."

In January 2024, during the 5th Rede Capoeira event in Salvador, Felipe received symbolic recognition as a "national hero and guardian of knowledge" alongside 13 other octogenarian masters. In March 2024, he was honored with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa (honorary doctorate) by the Universidade Federal do Recôncavo Baiano (UFRB), joining the gallery of honorees alongside names like Kabengele Munanga, Mateus Aleluia, and Dona Dalva.

At 98 years old in 2026, Mestre Felipe de Santo Amaro da Purificação stands as possibly the oldest capoeira master alive and actively practicing in the world—a living bridge connecting contemporary capoeiristas to the legendary figures of Santo Amaro's past.