The ABC of Old Masters of Capoeira

4-year old Cobrinha Verde started to learn capoeira with him

em: Besouro

Besouro was Cobrinha Verde's first cousin

About M Besouro Mangangá:

«Besouro Preto, from Santo Amaro, was my father's (Maximiano Pereira dos Santos) cousin, and I heard people talk about Besouro Preto, and I also wanted to become a tough guy, I wanted to be a tough guy who would beat everybody up, who would show up and become a winner (..) In São Pedro farm I met mestre Juvenço, who worked as a blacksmith and was a capoeirista, and who as Besouro's friend. He told me many stories about Besouro, until he died.»
M João Pequeno
«[Besouro's] first contact with the world of capoeira took place with an old african called Alípio, who was a captive in the Pantaleão Mill. When planting sugarcane, the student heard and learned from the old man the teachings of capoeira. Uncle Alípio was a Babalawo [candomblé priest] and had been a slave when young, a son of a black woman who was brought in a ship from the port of São Jorge da Mina in Dahomey [Benin].»
Abib, 2009
«Besouro was a tough guy. His fame was even bigger. His fame made a street to close up. Once a young girl who was raising me, wanted to take me to school. I was very afraid. Besouro was in town and it was all locked up. The police surrounded the town. They wanted to catch Besouro. I didn't want to go to school, because I was afraid of Besouro.»
José Gerardo Vasconcelos, 2003

4-year old Cobrinha Verde started to learn capoeira with him