Neném

Mestre Neném was an African-born capoeirista who taught in Itabuna, in the southern Bahia region of Brazil. He represents one of the most significant yet obscure figures in capoeira genealogy—a Layer Zero practitioner who anchors an entire lineage that would eventually transform capoeira in Rio de Janeiro and beyond.

Almost nothing is known about Neném except through the testimony of his descendants in the art. He is described simply as "an African" or "of African origin", indicating he was born on the African continent and brought to Brazil, likely during the final decades of the transatlantic slave trade or as a child of enslaved parents.

What we know comes primarily from Mestre Artur Emídio (1930-2011), who learned capoeira from Mestre Paizinho (Teodoro Ramos), who was in turn a direct disciple of Neném. In Artur Emídio's recounting: "The practice of Capoeira was prohibited. They trained on top of hills, in alleyways, at night and always hidden. Many were the times that my Master was arrested. But the next day the bail was paid, and he would leave. And at night, he would return to teach Capoeira, practiced for love!"

This description of clandestine training, arrests, and perseverance applies to the entire lineage from Neném through Paizinho. The southern Bahia region, particularly around Itabuna and Ilhéus in the cocoa-growing belt, developed its own capoeira tradition separate from the more documented Salvador schools. This tradition was characterized by:

1. Strict secrecy due to criminalization 2. Training in remote locations (hilltops, back alleys) 3. Night-time practice to avoid police 4. Strong master-student bonds formed under persecution 5. The willingness to accept repeated arrest rather than abandon the art

The lineage Neném established would prove remarkably influential. Through Paizinho, his teachings reached Artur Emídio, who became a pioneer of capoeira in Rio de Janeiro. Artur Emídio is considered one of the "four main lineages" of contemporary Rio capoeira (alongside Paraná, Mário Buscapé, and Roque), and was likely the first capoeirista to perform internationally.

Neném's legacy thus extends from the African continent through the persecution era of Brazilian capoeira to the global art form it became in the late 20th century. As Mestre Paulo Gomes's genealogy records: he was "'Great-grandson' of Mestre Neném" through the chain Neném → Paizinho → Artur Emídio → Paulo Gomes.