Mestre Natanael

Mestre Natanael came from Bahia to São Paulo in the late 1960s, part of the wave of Bahian capoeiristas who migrated to the industrial capital seeking better opportunities and bringing their art with them. He arrived alongside Mestre Limão (Paulo dos Santos) and Mestre Silvestre, both fellow students of the legendary Mestre Caiçara.

In São Paulo, Natanael participated in the founding of one of the city's first capoeira academies, the Associação de Capoeira Quilombo dos Palmares, founded by Mestre Limão on June 1, 1970. The academy initially operated in the Brooklin neighborhood before moving to Avenida Adolfo Pinheiro in the Santo Amaro district, where it remained for many years. Natanael taught Capoeira Angola at Quilombo dos Palmares and participated in capoeira demonstration events throughout São Paulo.

By 1972, Natanael was an established voice in São Paulo's capoeira community. That year, he made a memorable statement captured in Portal Capoeira: "A CAPOEIRA, filha da Terra, está sendo esmagada de pé!" (Capoeira, daughter of the Earth, is being crushed on its feet!)—reflecting concerns about the marginalization of capoeira during that period.

Natanael contributed to the prosperity of capoeira in the Santo Amaro district of São Paulo, working alongside Mestres Limão, Silvestre, Silvio Acarajé, Alemãozinho, Robinho Angoleiro, and others who established the region as a center of capoeira activity. He is recognized as one of the precursors of capoeira in São Paulo.

Natanael was also known as an exceptional musician and vocalist. In 1987, he released a solo LP titled "Capoeira De Angola" on the Cáritas label (catalog F 22518), featuring traditional capoeira songs including "Toca do Zumbi," "Negro no Cais," "Toques de Capoeira," "Raízes de Angola," and "Novo Santo Amaro." His famous declamation "Raízes de Angola" speaks poetically about "Mãe Capoeira" and how capoeira came from Africa in the blood of enslaved people, referencing historical figures like Ganga Zumba and Zumbi of Quilombo dos Palmares.

In 2007, the album "Capoeira de Angola" was released featuring both Mestre Limão and Mestre Natanael, containing 21 songs including "Homenagem aos Mestres," "Filhos de Bantu," "Ilha de Maré," and "Nova Santo Amaro." Since Mestre Limão died in 1985, this was likely a compilation of earlier recordings made together. The album includes traditional ladainhas, chulas, and corridos of Capoeira Angola.

Mestre Natanael is remembered in the capoeira community as "um exemplo de ser humano" (an example of a human being). His recordings have animated capoeira training sessions and rodas for decades, with practitioners recalling the nostalgic impact of his music since the 1980s. His voice and declamations preserve the oral tradition and African heritage of Capoeira Angola.