Popó do Maculelê

Paulino Almeida de Andrade, known as Popó do Maculelê or simply Mestre Popó, was born on March 15, 1876, in Santo Amaro da Purificação, Bahia—a city in the Recôncavo Baiano region known as the birthplace of Bahian capoeira and a crucible of Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions.

The son of a fisherman, Popó grew up immersed in the living memory of slavery. He learned maculelê—an Afro-Brazilian stick-fighting dance of profound dramatic intensity—from a group of elderly formerly enslaved Africans of Malê descent: João Oléa, Tiaju (Tia Jô), and Zé do Brinquinho. The Malês were Muslim warriors from West Africa who had led the largest urban slave revolt in Brazilian history in Bahia in 1835. From these teachers, Popó absorbed not only the movements and rhythms of maculelê but its spiritual and historical significance as an art of resistance.

In the early 20th century, as the generation of former slaves passed away, maculelê began disappearing from the patron saint festivals of Santo Amaro. The tradition seemed destined to die with its practitioners. But in 1943, Popó—then 67 years old—decided to act. Drawing on his memories, he gathered his children, grandchildren, and neighbors on Rua da Linha in Santo Amaro and began teaching them the dance. As he later stated: "eles eram livres, mas quem botou o Maculelê fui eu mesmo" (they were free, but I myself established Maculelê).

He formed the Conjunto de Maculelê de Santo Amaro, which became widely known for its performances at the annual festivals held from December 8 through February 2. In July 1957, Popó led his group of 15 performers to the III Congresso Brasileiro de Folclore in Salvador, where they performed in the courtyard of the Feminine Institute, accompanied by three drums, a caxixi, and an agogô. They received a warm reception from the congress attendees.

On December 16, 1968, researcher Maria Mutti interviewed Popó in Santo Amaro da Purificação. The 92-year-old master provided detailed instruction on the instruments, musical functions, costumes, and historical context of maculelê—knowledge that would prove invaluable for future practitioners and scholars.

That same year, in 1968, Mestre Gato of Grupo Senzala visited Santo Amaro da Purificação and attended classes and rodas with Popó, along with Mestres Ezequiel and Saci. This visit, in the final year of Popó's life, connected the young Rio de Janeiro capoeirista to the deep Bahian traditions that the elder master had preserved.

Popó described maculelê as both "luta e dança" (fight and dance)—a dual nature reflecting its historical function as training disguised as celebration. He integrated musical and choreographic elements from candomblé, with the three drums (Rum, Rumpi, and Lê) providing the rhythmic foundation while performers struck wooden sticks (grimas) in synchronized patterns.

Popó's son Zezinho later moved to Salvador, where he met Mestre Bimba, the creator of Capoeira Regional. Through this connection, Bimba adopted maculelê for demonstrations and as physical training for his students, incorporating the Santo Amaro tradition into the broader capoeira curriculum. Zezinho's version of maculelê differed from his father's, having been adapted to capoeira. Bimba also received maculelê knowledge from another source: Tiburcinho de Jaguaripe, a batuque master introduced to him by Dr. Ângelo Decânio in the 1950s, who contributed songs and choreography from the Recôncavo tradition. Through these combined influences from Santo Amaro and Jaguaripe, maculelê became an integral part of Capoeira Regional training and spread to capoeira groups worldwide.

Popó died on September 16, 1969, at the age of 93, in Santo Amaro. His legacy continues through his descendants—including his grandson Evilásio de Andrade (Vivi de Popó) and great-great-grandson Mestre Tampinha (Valmir Andrade da Silva), who today introduces himself as "grandson of Vivi de Popó and great-great-grandson of Popó do Maculelê".

Just as Capoeira Angola had Mestre Pastinha as its great defender, maculelê had Popó do Maculelê. He transformed what could have been lost forever into a vibrant tradition now practiced across Brazil and in capoeira academies worldwide. As one source puts it, he was "a fisherman's son from Santo Amaro who carried an old fire into a new century".