The peculiarity of Mansu Valente can be seen in the folk song [listen above]:
Who wants to have pity
go behind the prison bars
where there's Mansu Valente
in the dark without a candle
When it comes to the violent life, and the tragic end of troublemaker Pedro Mineiro, we encounter information in verses sung in the "roda da capoeira" when it's exhibitions take place:
In the Galinho bar
which was on Sé Square
Pedro Minêro killed a sailor
because of Maria José
in the port of Bahia there were
Battleship Idaban
and Torpedoship Piaui
the insubordinate sailor
jumped the ship to have a party
they sent to kill Pedro Minêro
inside the police station
(Chorus)
Auê, take notice,
capoêra has its grounds...
Aloanguê…
Aloanguê…
Capoêra will kick your ass...
The „Baixinha“, in Taboão, was the place to reunite the tough guys of the old days, continues Daniel. In the twenties, the police cavalry squads had a lot of work in combating the crimes that were committed there, almost all made with a headbutt „churuméla“ and razor-knife.
The newspapers of the time register these happenings in the police chronicles of Salvador. A Tade tells on 29.1.1915: "In the „15 Mistérios“ Square the capoeirista called Manoel Mendes, also known as "Manoel Tié" got rid of Reinaldo Pereira Lopes using headbutts".
„In the place called „Carvão“, Inácio Loiola de Miranda, fought with soldeir called Aristides José de Santana, who pulled out the sabre, striking, in vain, a series of hits on the troublemaker, who dodged, using capoeira, and ended up killing the soldeir with a headbutt (A Tarde 18.12.1916). In Taboão, José Batista da Cruz, called „Guruxinha“, was striked with a razor-knife by a fishmonger and capoeirista Pedro dos Santos, „Pedro Porreta“, aided by his brother Pedro de Alcântara, „Piroca“. The victim later died“ (A Tarde 14.12.1920).
Among the tough guys of capoeiragem of the past, "Noronha" remembers the names of Eutiquio das Malhadas, Alfeu Balbúrdia, Felipe Negrão, Zacarias Grande, Bigode de Sêda, Livino Diogo, Hilário Rosa de Viterbo (Bilusca), Antônio das Neves (Maré), Percílio Engraxate, Geraldo Chapeleiro, Geraldo Pé de Abelha, Eduardo Carrocinha, Pedro Agonia, Domingos Ferro Velho, Júlio Cabeça de Leitoa, Negrão Benedito Cão, Cirilo Grande, Amorzinho, who was a "strong guy", but liked the white, and Ricardo Doqueiro, of who, some are still alive in the list of alive people.
Daniel Coutinho, a bahian, born in Baixa dos Sapateiros, almost 70 years old [61, born in 1909 - velhosmestres.com], son of José Coutinho and Misses Maria Conceições, both of indian blood, is one of them. Still a boy he learned the difficult art of capoeira, the art of the "solta" and the "rabo-de-arraia", with a black Angolan descendant, the old Cândido Pequeno.
Noronha, despite the weight of years, handles with ease the „gunga“, (berimbau).
Daniel remembers that on 2nd February, in a place called „Cabrito“, in the Bay Area, every year the Yemanjá cult was celebrated. They arranged a "summerhouse" (platform) in the churchyard of Igrejinha and for the joy of the Holy devotees, the party started with samba, batuque, capoeira and lasted for three days. These festivities were organized bu Galindeu, an old master, who practised the african rites, and was very respected there in Cabrito, where there was a large clientele amoing the people who worshipped Iansã. He died, eighty years old.
Daniel changes remembering the past lost in the mist of time, and murmurs some songs, that were sung by him in the "roda of vadiagem", where the old mestre linked the stomach to the "gunga" (berimbau), to the handclaps and to the grunt of the "bode" (pandeiro).
Tiririca is a cutting knife
it only cuts the Sinhá boys
cacunbuca is a kitchen knife
that comes from Mucungê
Mucungê that comes from beyond the tide
the tide that is a sinner's bag [?]
Women what you sell there
is rice from Maranhão
my Master sent me sell it
in Solomon's tomb