Person
1890s – 1943
Born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Died in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Dated moments of this life, from the corpus.1 undated moment is listed under Relations
Mestre Amorzinho was a civil guard (guarda civil) in Salvador, Bahia, and one of the most important figures in the founding of organized Capoeira Angola. His profession provided crucial protection for capoeiristas during an era when the art was still criminalized in Brazil, allowing the rodas at Gengibirra to flourish without police harassment.
In the 1920s, Amorzinho was among the 22 founding mestres who established the Centro Nacional de Capoeira de Origem Angola at Ladeira de Pedra in the Gengibirra area of the Liberdade neighborhood—the first organized center for Capoeira Angola in the state of Bahia. More than just a founding mestre, he was one of four "donos e proprietários" (owners and proprietors) of Gengibirra, alongside Mestre Noronha, his brother Livino, and Totonho de Maré.
Amorzinho served as the roda leader at Gengibirra, where the best capoeiristas of Salvador gathered on Sundays. Mestre Noronha remembered him as skilled in "cabeceiro" (head techniques), though he noted that Amorzinho "liked the branca" (white rum/cachaça). Despite this, he was described as one of "the greatest mestres of Bahia".
The pivotal moment in Amorzinho's legacy came on February 23, 1941, when Raimundo Aberrê brought Mestre Pastinha to witness the Sunday roda at Gengibirra. According to Pastinha's own account: "When I arrived there, I looked for the capoeira owner, who was Amorzinho, who was a civil guard. He called Amorzinho, Amorzinho in the grip of my hand went and handed over capoeira for me to take care of". Amorzinho reportedly said: "I have been waiting a long time to give you this capoeira for you to master".
However, Mestre Noronha's manuscripts offer a different chronology, suggesting that the formal transfer of leadership occurred only after Amorzinho's death. Noronha wrote: "Because of the death of Amorzinho, the guard, we handed over the Centre to Mestre Pastinha to take care".
Amorzinho died in 1943, shortly after Aberrê passed away in September 1942. His death had a profound impact on the nascent Capoeira Angola organization. According to sources, "with Amorzinho's death, CECA was abandoned by all the Masters". The center would only fully recover and "gain momentum" (engrenaria) in 1955.
The legacy of Amorzinho lives on through his role in establishing the organizational foundation that Mestre Pastinha would later develop into the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola (CECA). His position as a civil guard who used his authority to protect rather than persecute capoeiristas represents a crucial transition in capoeira's history from an outlawed practice to an organized cultural tradition.
Amorzinho co-founded Centro Nacional de Capoeira de Origem Angola1920s
One of four "donos e proprietários" (organizational leaders) of Gengibirra alongside Noronha, Livino, and Totonho de Maré. Also one of the 22 founding mestres of the Centro Nacional de Capoeira de Origem Angola.
Amorzinho led Centro Nacional de Capoeira de Origem Angola1920s – 1943
One of four "donos e proprietários" AND the primary roda leader. His profession as civil guard provided crucial protection from police. Pastinha called him "the owner of that capoeira". His death in 1943 triggered the Centro's dispersal. Death year 1943 from secondary sources only (Portal Capoeira); no primary source.
Amorzinho was associated with Livino1920s – 1943
Amorzinho and Livino were two of the four "owners and proprietors" of Gengibirra, co-founding the first organized Capoeira Angola center in Bahia.
Amorzinho was associated with Aberrê1920s – September 1942
Aberrê was a founding mestre of Gengibirra who brought Pastinha to meet Amorzinho in 1941. Both died within months of each other (Aberrê Sept 1942, Amorzinho 1943).
Amorzinho was associated with Noronha1920s – 1943
Noronha and Amorzinho were two of the four "owners and proprietors" of Gengibirra, co-founding the first organized Capoeira Angola center in Bahia. Amorzinho died in 1943.
Amorzinho was associated with Noronha1920s – 1943
Amorzinho and Noronha were two of the four "owners and proprietors" of Gengibirra, co-founding the first organized Capoeira Angola center in Bahia. Noronha later documented Amorzinho's role in his manuscripts.
Amorzinho was associated with Totonho de Maré1920s – 1943
Amorzinho and Totonho de Maré were two of the four "owners and proprietors" of Gengibirra, co-founding the first organized Capoeira Angola center in Bahia.
Amorzinho was associated with Livino1920s – 1943
Livino and Amorzinho were two of the four "owners and proprietors" of Gengibirra, co-founding the first organized Capoeira Angola center in Bahia. Amorzinho died in 1943.
Amorzinho was associated with Vitor Agaú1920s – 1943
Both were among the founding mestres of Gengibirra and present at CECA's establishment. Amorzinho died in 1943.
Amorzinho was associated with Pastinha23 February 1941 – 1943
Amorzinho passed leadership of Capoeira Angola to Pastinha in 1941. This transfer (whether on the day or after Amorzinho's death in 1943) was foundational to CECA's establishment.
Active in: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
period not recorded
Relations by confidence