Mestre Dois de Ouro

Dois de Ouro was a Bahian angoleiro whose name remains synonymous with street capoeira in Salvador. A member of the Associação Brasileira de Capoeira Angola in Salvador, he was recognized for his precision, speed, and cunning gameplay - described by those who witnessed him as "um capoeirista desconfiado, rápido e mandingueiro" who executed rasteiras (leg sweeps) in a distinctive and memorable way.

He was part of the wave of Bahian capoeiristas who migrated to Rio de Janeiro in the 1950s. On July 21, 1960, together with fellow Bahian angoleiros Mucungê, Baleado, Onça Preta, Imagem do Cão, and Roque, he co-founded Grupo Filhos de Angola in Rio de Janeiro. This group became pioneers in teaching capoeira in the city, participating in tournaments like the Berimbau de Ouro (1967) and folkloric exhibitions such as "Uma Noite na Bahia".

Despite his time in Rio, Dois de Ouro maintained strong ties to Salvador, where he continued to participate in the rodas de rua (street rodas) at festas de largo and at the Mercado Modelo. He was remembered alongside legendary figures including Caicara, Eziquiel, Canjiquinha, Paulo dos Anjos, Desente, and Bom Cabrito.

He passed away in November 2001 in Salvador, leaving behind students who preserve his memory. Mestre Bira de Oxóssi, who describes Dois de Ouro as his "mestre na angola", learned from him the fundamentals of what Dois de Ouro called "capoeira angoregional de rua". Contramestre Sergio Ferreira also trained with him and learned the art of making berimbaus from his hands.

In the book "Mestres e capoeiras famosos da Bahia", a chapter is dedicated to him: "Dois de Ouro: O capoeira de rua" (The street capoeirista). As he himself often said: "A capoeira foi um dom que Deus me deu" (Capoeira was a gift that God gave me).