Mestre Totonho de Maré

Antônio Laurindo das Neves, known as Mestre Totonho de Maré, was born on September 17, 1894, on Ilha de Maré in the Bay of All Saints, to Manoel Gasparino Neves and Margarida Neves. He was five years younger than Mestre Pastinha, one year older than Besouro Mangangá, and six years older than Mestre Bimba—placing him at the center of capoeira's foundational generation.

Totonho de Maré claimed to have learned capoeira by himself, observing older practitioners play and then testing his skills on the streets of Salvador. He began playing in 1911 and became known for his physical strength, dexterity, and great stature, winning many physical duels throughout Bahia.

For many years he "reigned" on Ilha de Maré, which gave him his nickname. He worked as a wagoner, grocery store operator, and docker to support himself while teaching capoeira informally in different neighborhoods of Salvador. Unlike many contemporaries, he never founded an academy, preferring to teach at street parties and public gatherings.

In 1936, Samuel de Souza ("Querido de Deus") publicly stated that the Bahian championship title "deservedly belongs to Maré" over Bimba. That same year, Edison Carneiro praised him alongside Samuel Querido de Deus as "the best capoeiristas from Bahia". Carneiro later referenced him in "Negros Bantus" (1937) as both a capoeirista and docker.

Mestre Noronha recognized Totonho de Maré as one of the four "donos e proprietários" (owners and proprietors) of Gengibirra—the first centro of Capoeira Angola—alongside himself, Amorzinho, and Livino. In 1941, this group participated in founding CECA (Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola), handing leadership of their Gengibirra centro at Ladeira da Pedra to Mestre Pastinha.

In 1968, at age 74, Totonho de Maré appeared in the documentary "Dança de Guerra" directed by Jair Moura, demonstrating vadiação with Mestre Noronha—preserving footage of his playing style for future generations.

In his final interviews before his death, he expressed concern about the evolution of capoeira: "Capoeira de Angola is beautiful, but today it's falsified...it used to be only for the love of the art". He praised Mestre Bimba as "a great mestre who fought a lot for the valorization of capoeira".

Totonho de Maré died on October 18, 1974, at 80 years old. He is frequently honored in modern capoeira rodas through verses that reflect his elevated status within the tradition. He coined the expression "galanteria da capoeira" to describe the nobility and elegance of the old Bahian capoeiristas—a phrase that captures the dignity he saw in the art.