Mestre Gildo Alfinete

Gildo Lemos Couto was born on January 16, 1940, in the Tororó neighborhood of Salvador, Bahia. As a thin youth, he earned the apelido "Alfinete" (pin or needle). Learning capoeira became his way to confront those who picked on him for his slight frame.

In 1959, at age 19, Gildo began training at Mestre Pastinha's Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola (CECA) at Pelourinho 19. He trained diligently for four years, and in 1963 he received his capoeirista diploma directly from Mestre Pastinha, placing him among the mestre's closest disciples.

From the beginning, Gildo distinguished himself not only as a player but as a documentarian. He played, watched, and wrote—recording Pastinha's teachings on whatever paper was at hand, sometimes even on napkins. These notes would later become invaluable primary sources for the history of Capoeira Angola.

In April 1966, Gildo experienced the crowning achievement of his early career: he traveled with Mestre Pastinha to Dakar, Senegal, for the First World Festival of Black Arts (Festival Mondial des Arts Nègres). The Brazilian delegation included six capoeiristas: Pastinha, João Grande, Gato Preto, Gildo Alfinete, Roberto Satanás, and Camafeu de Oxossi. The group departed on April 16 and performed at the Friendship Stadium (later renamed Stadium Demba Diop) before approximately 10,000 spectators.

By this time, Pastinha was suffering from thrombosis that had damaged his vision—João Grande recalled that "the day Mestre Pastinha went to get the passport... he couldn't climb the stairs anymore". At the Dakar performances, Pastinha sat in the shade and played atabaque while his students demonstrated Capoeira Angola to the world. Gildo played capoeira alongside João Grande while Camafeu de Oxossi played berimbau. Throughout the journey, Gildo documented their experiences, creating a precious archive of the trip.

At the festival, young Senegalese boys showed movements similar to capoeira. When asked if it was capoeira, they replied: "Capoeira is in Brasil... Our people took it there and now you are showing it here". This encounter moved the Brazilian delegation deeply.

After Pastinha's death in 1981, Gildo transformed into an ambassador of Capoeira Angola. Though he never directed his own academy, he dedicated more than 40 years to teaching in Salvador. He gave lectures on capoeira history, often displaying photographs from his personal archive. On October 25, 2006, at the Associação Brasileira de Capoeira Angola (ABCA) in Salvador, he gave a notable lecture alongside Mestre Bola Sete.

During that 2006 lecture, Gildo addressed misconceptions about Pastinha. He explained that Pastinha carried an umbrella "wherever he went, rain or shine, to be used as a weapon in the case of an emergency". He refuted claims that Pastinha did not play berimbau or sing—confirming that the mestre did both. He clarified the relationship between Pastinha and Canjiquinha: rather than Pastinha learning from Canjiquinha, Pastinha had recruited Canjiquinha and made him a contra-mestre. He described how Pastinha taught his students "one by one, with the others watching".

Gildo helped refound the ABCA on July 18, 1993, giving institutional structure to a tradition that had been passed hand to hand. He also financially supported projects aimed at providing young people access to Pastinha's teachings.

Throughout his life, Gildo remained connected to the community of CECA alumni. He maintained close relationships with João Grande, João Pequeno, Bola Sete, and other disciples. Photographs document him visiting João Grande's home and academy, participating in events celebrating the Pastinha lineage.

Mestre Gildo Alfinete died on October 12, 2015, in Salvador at age 75.

After his passing, his family discovered a treasure: more than 3,000 photographs and a handwritten notebook containing Pastinha's teachings. These materials had been accumulated over 52 years, since he received his diploma in 1963. His brother, Mestre Genésio "Meio-Quilo", compiled this archive into the book "Capoeira Angola Mundo Afora - Uma Jornada com o Mestre Pastinha", published in 2020.

The book launch took place at the ABCA headquarters in Pelourinho, with rodas through the historic center of Salvador in homage. All proceeds from the book support ABCA, Associação Nigolo (Caruaru, Pernambuco), Associação Origem Angola (Natal, Rio Grande do Norte), and ACGL in Brasília.