Unlike many masters of his generation, Daniel Coutinho, better known as Mestre Noronha, could read and write. It was thus possible for him to leave behind his manuscripts, a precious legacy consisting of a kind of personal journal, published for the first time in 1993 by Fred Abreu. Together with Mestre Pastinha’s writings, Noronha’s manuscripts represent an invaluable source for the history of 20th century capoeira, as there are very few testimonies that provide an insider’s view of Bahia’s capoeira, before the innovations and changes that took place from the 1930s onwards. Written over the years 1974-77, Noronha not only remembers the “baderna”, as he called capoeira in his youth, but also reflects on the evolution of capoeira since then.
From his manuscripts one can see that writing was not something that flowed easily for him, so much so that he wrote everything in capital letters. His spelling also reflects both the old spelling he learned at school (e.g. “elle” instead of “ele”) and the regional pronunciation of Bahia. Nor did M Noronha use punctuation, as if he were transposing his speech directly into writing.
We reproduce here some extracts from his original handwritten notebook, taken from the original published in 1993 by Fred Abreu, and an English translation.
1. Autobiography
I am from Bahia, born in Baixa do Sapateiro in August 1909. I was educated, I know how to read and write. I dedicated myself to learning capoeira at the age of eight from a great master, Candido Pequeno, who had a little ring in his ear. As champion of capoeira in the State of Bahia, this great master was the one who taught me capoeira angola with complete dedication. This is the origin that I tried to adapt all the evils that exist in capoeira, good sight and dexterity, in the good, bad and evil environments, in order to know who they are. The capoeira player is not a tough guy and should not be, because the capoeirista has a lot of resources to fight, [and needs] to be very calm. The capoeirista must be very polite to be introduced in the higher social circles, if he was a tough guy, leave this life, that’s over, we should acquire weight of friendship, that’s what we should do. (p. 38)
2. Autobiography
I was a shoeshine boy to be able to live. My life as a capoeira angola master was very good, but I acquired nothing in life. I taught and own nothing. I was a stevedore, I abandoned it and became a dock worker, a ragpicker, I worked on board of ships, I was a truck driver assistant, a porter working in the street. I worked in the petrol industry, I am a cargo handler, I am retired through my trade union. I am 65 years old, I have never despised my mandate as a master, always been firm in the struggle, because I love my fatherland.
Gentlemen! To teach capoeira angola in an academy, an academy teacher must know a lot about its fundamentals, otherwise his pupil knows nothing. He cannot present himself before his colleagues. This is what I have to say. Mestre Noronha, Bahia. (p. 34)
3. Origin of capoeira
There are many capoeira masters who don’t know how to give capoeira its true value, because they are masters who learned within one month, and this master knows nothing, neither he nor he who has just started, because they are masters who learned with one month and cannot be the master of an academy. The masters from Bahia still exist, who know the fundamentals of capoeira angola, but they will not give their secrets to anyone, because it is our privilege. Capoeira came from Africa brought by the African. We all know this, but it was not educated. It was the Bahians who educated it, for their own self-defence. (p. 18-19)
4. Festa do Largo [or Square Celebrations]
Another traditional celebration [is that] of Our Lady Saint Barbara, the patron saint of the traditional market in the Shoemakers’ Bottom [Baixa dos Sapateiros], where took place the gathering of the great capoeira masters to dispute their highly attractive [?] blows of their defense for the public to give them value as capoeiristas, that has been feeding this tradition of all the festivals of Bahia, this same group of Conceição da Praia Church. Noronha, Bahia. (p. 20)
5. Roda da Curva Grande, 1917
In 1917 we were invited to a capoeira roda at Curva Grande. The capoeira roda had only tough guys, all of them were trained to give us a beating in collusion with the police. The capoeira roda belonged to a sergeant of the Military Police. A strong argument arose, the sergeant pulled out a firearm that was taken from the sergeant’s hand by the capoeirista who has the nickname Julio Cabeça de Leitoa, a big troublemaker. There was a big shootout, it looked like a battlefield. The cavalry intervened, the police and the capoeiristas were out in force. They made coakroaches out of us capoeiristas in the chicken coop, but it was a trap. I’m remembering the times spent at Curva Grande in front of Vale da Bisca. Master Noronha. (p. 30)
6. Capoeira Angola Competition Rules
The capoeirista who is dragged by a rasteira in a demonstration or a rabo de arraia or a joelhada or a balão boca de calças or a escoramento de coxa is considered defeated. The adversary is considered beaten if acknowledging his defeat immediately outside the demonstration. These are [the] rules of capoeira angola. The combat ring is 4 meters by 4, there will be a capoeira angola judge to judge the angola player who is superior in attack. 2nd Point: the angola player who is superior in his blows or leg game knocks down his adversary, the latter falling on the ring floor. 3rd Point: ending the demonstration, the judge will award the victory to the winner of this demonstration.
Mestre Noronha, known in the capoeira circles in the State of Bahia. My baptismal name is Daniel Coutinho, born on August 3, 1909 in Beco do Girassol, Baixa do Sapateiro, Rua Dr J. J. Seabra. (p.40)
7. Origin of the Capoeira Angola Sports Centre-CECA
Here are written some fundamentals of Capoeira angola of the State of Bahia, the first capoeira centre of the State of Bahia, at Ladeira de Pedra, Liberdade neighbourhood, founded by the great masters Daniel Coutinho – Noronha, Livino, Maré, Amorzinho, Raimundo ABR, Percílio, Geraldo Chapeleiro, Juvenal Engraxate, Geraldo Pé de Abelha, Zehi, Feliciano Bigode de Seda, Bonome, Henrique Cara Queimada, Onça Preta, Cimento, Algemiro Grande Olho de Pombo longshoreman, Antonio Galindo, Antonio Boca de Porco stevedore, Candido Pequeno Argolinha de Ouro champion of Bahia, Lúcio Pequeno, Paquete do Cabula. Then ABR introduced Mestre Pastinha. Because of the death of Amorzinho, the guard, we handed over the Centre to Mestre Pastinha to take care and this Centre was registered by the efforts of Mestre Pastinha, who knew how to raise this Center to prominence, thanks to the Good Lord, to this Spirit of Light that guided Mestre Pastinha [and?] the Minister of Education, who sought to teach capoeira in the schools of Brazil. Because it is personal defense, and that is the truth, and so I say Mestre Noronha has been in this mess since he was 8 years old, in the midst of good, bad and evil. So I sought to know the fundamentals of this sport that was so hated by the governor as the police. I was very persecuted by the police. Mestre Noronha, Bahia. Mestre Livino Malvadeza. (p. 17)
8. Interview
I Mestre Noronha, had the greatest pleasure of having an interview with the professor of the University of Brazil, here in the State of Bahia, about some points of capoeira angola. I gave him some points, and he was very satisfied with my interview. The professor came to Bahia to adapt some capoeira angola moves and to make a film about capoeira in the State of Bahia. He invited us to do the filming, but it cannot be a filming of capoeira angola. It needs a lot of players to be extracted for the filming, so that it can come out right for the world to see and like and say that this sport is respected in high society, in the police, army and navy and practised in gyms, schools and popular milieus, this great cunning sport. (p. 47-48)
9. Rhythms
The toques that are required in capoeira angola:
Jogo de Dentro, game of great observance;
São Bento Grande, a game of arming the blow;
São Bento Pequeno, to undo this blow;
Quebra-me com Gente Macaco, game for balão de boca de calça;
Samba de Angola, game for rasteira and joelhada;
Panha Laranja no Chão Tico-Tico, low and high game;
Este Negro é o Cão: violent game, give and take.
(p. 48)
Know more:
COUTINHO, Daniel. O ABC da Capoeira Angola. Os manuscritos do Mestre Noronha. Com explicações, notas, glossário e anexos de Frederico Abreu. Brasília: DEFER/GDF, 1993.
ASSUNÇÃO, Matthias Röhrig. ‘Uma visão de dentro da vadiação baiana. Os manuscritos do Mestre Noronha e o seu significado para a história da capoeira’. Revista África(s), Núcleo de Estudos Africanos e da Pós-Graduação Lato Sensu em Estudos Africanos e Representações da África, da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Campus II, Alagoinhas, v.1, n.2 (Jul-Dec 2015): 81-100.
PIRES, Antonio Liberac Cardoso Simões. A capoeira na Bahia de Todos os Santos. 1. ed. Goiânia: Editora UFT/Grafsete, 2005.
