The ABC of Old Masters of Capoeira

M Pastinha set up his first capoeira school in Campo da Pólvora

April, 2016 in: Besouro

[..] when [M Pastinha] was discharged from the army, being 20 years old, he opened his first school in the room that served as the headoffice of a group of cyclists, located in the belvedere of Campo da Pólvora, in Salvador.
Reis, 1997
Was it here where M Pastinha got the idea of building a fence for the spectators of his capoeira demonstrations in the end of 1940s? See those here. An observation: the two squares are situated close to one another.
We also know that M Pastinha liked football alot and that the football uniforms (see Esporte Clube Ypiranga, founded in 1906, winning the Bahian Championships first time in 1917), that he adopted also indicate a link to Campo da Pólvora.
Campo da Pólvora in 1906

[..] Largo da Pólvora. In this location there was a football field, called, of course, the Football Field of Pólvora [Gunpowder], where the matches of the Bahian Championship were held. There was no stand. The spectators were behind the four corners of the field which was "fenced" by chairs where the women sat. The crowd was large for the time. The foto shows this.
Campo da Pólvora, Salvador, 1906

Largo Campo da Pólvora, Salvador, nowadays

About M Pastinha:

«I always had the hope that capoeira would gain its space, or better, it place, of what mestre Pastinha, when living, already spoke about. Before he died he told that he would die, but only in flesh and not in spirit and capoeira would continue. He told that he spoke to João Pequeno that he would die and that he should take care of it, of capoeira.»
M Boca Rica, 2003
«For me, Pastinha is one of the great characters of Bahian folklife.»
Jorge Amado, 1945
«Mestre Pastinha and his students would put the strap [of caxixi] around the little and the ring finger. He talks about this in his book, and it can be seen on the photographies taken in his Academy.»
Shaffer, 1977

M Pastinha set up his first capoeira school in Campo da Pólvora