Mestre Juvenal Engraxate

Juvenal Hermenegildo da Cruz, known in the capoeira world as "Juvenal Engraxate" or "Mestre Juvenal", was one of the most prominent names in Bahian capoeira during the 1930s and 1940s. Born on January 31, 1919, he was a natural defender of Capoeira Angola and became a bridge between the legendary early masters and the modern era.

The nickname "Engraxate" (shoeshine boy) came from his early work as a shoeshine boy near the Lacerda Elevator in Salvador. Like many capoeiristas of his era who came from Salvador's urban poor, Juvenal worked humble jobs while dedicating himself to the art of capoeira.

Juvenal was formally recognized as a Mestre by the legendary Samuel Querido de Deus, the "king of capoeira". "This title was given to me by Samuel Querido-de-Deus", Juvenal later recounted. "Samuel liked my qualities and saw my future". Juvenal described his teacher as "uma onça" (a jaguar) and proclaimed that "Querido-de-Deus never lost a fight!" This formal transmission of the mestre title represents an important lineage connection in capoeira angola history.

According to journalist Cláudio Tavares, Juvenal was not a thug or a professional capoeirista who could be hired for "small services" like some capoeiristas of the time. Instead, Juvenal was a worker - a stevedore (dockworker) who spent hours of the day and even night in hard labor. Like most old capoeiristas who worked at the docks, stevedores took advantage of their rest hours after meals to practice and teach capoeira by the waterfront.

Juvenal held his capoeira rodas at the dock ramps of the old Mercado Modelo, at the Festas de Largo (street festivals), and frequented a "Barracão" where capoeira rodas were held in Chame Chame. He also played capoeira at the ramp of Conceição da Praia, where he was known as the champion.

In 1941, Juvenal was among the founding mestres of the Centro Nacional de Capoeira de Origem Angola (Gengibirra) at Ladeira de Pedra in the Liberdade neighborhood. This historic center, which would later pass to Mestre Pastinha's leadership and become CECA, represented the first organized effort to preserve traditional Capoeira Angola. The four "donos e proprietários" (owners) were Noronha, Livino, Totonho de Maré, and Amorzinho, with 18 other mestres including Juvenal as co-founders.

Juvenal gained wider recognition in the 1940s. In 1946, the newspaper O Momento published an article on June 16 called "The disciples of mestre Juvenal challenge a capoeirista", mentioning Juvenal as the champion of Conceição da Praia. In 1948, the photographer Pierre Verger captured images of Juvenal for O Cruzeiro magazine, one of Brazil's most important publications. In January 1948, O Cruzeiro published the article "Capoeira mata um!" (Capoeira kills one!) highlighting Mestre Juvenal and his roda at the Mercado Modelo.

In 1937, Juvenal played at the II Congresso Afro-Brasileiro (Second Afro-Brazilian Congress) alongside other legendary mestres including Barbosa. Historical photographs from this event survive, documenting this important cultural moment.

Jorge Amado, in his 1944 novel "Bahía de Todos os Santos", mentioned Mestre Juvenal in a section dedicated to Samuel Querido de Deus, describing Juvenal as "twenty years old, the most agile, the most technical" among the capoeira players. This literary recognition cemented Juvenal's reputation as one of the great young talents of his generation.

Juvenal recorded a capoeira album in the 1940s, sung in Yoruba, Caboclo, and Portuguese, making him one of the early documenters of capoeira music and traditions. In September 1953, the Official Gazette listed Juvenal Hermenegildo da Cruz as a sailor at the Salvador Customs House, confirming his maritime employment.

With his authority as a recognized mestre, Juvenal condemned Capoeira Regional, saying: "Regional is not capoeira. It has similar traits to Angola. It has moves acquired from other fights". This stance reflected the traditionalist position of many Angola mestres during the Angola-Regional debates of the mid-20th century.

One of Mestre Juvenal's famous phrases was: "A capoeira é minha cachaça" (Capoeira is my cachaça) - expressing how capoeira was his passion and lifeblood.

Among his students were Reginaldo, Antonio, Evangelista, and his son Romenil Assis da Cruz (from his first wife, Nair Pereira de Assis). Later, Juvenal married Olga Maria Santos da Cruz and had a daughter, Olga Silva da Cruz. Through these students and family members, Juvenal's lineage continued into future generations.

Juvenal represented the second generation of Bahian capoeira mestres - following the first generation of Bimba, Pastinha, and Besouro, but alongside peers like Cobrinha Verde, Noronha, Waldemar, and Onça Preta. This generation bridged the criminalization era (when capoeira was illegal until 1940) and the modern period of capoeira's cultural recognition.

Mestre Juvenal Hermenegildo da Cruz passed away on March 20, 1998, at the age of 79, leaving behind a rich legacy in the history of Capoeira Angola.