Originally written by Jorge Amado in 1944. Re-printed in Camille Adorno's book A Arte da Capoeira
Translated into English by Shayna McHugh 

White hairs have begun to appear on the head of Samuel Querido de Deus. His hair appears eternally wet by the waters of the sea, and his color is impossible to define. Definitely mulatto. But a light mulatto or a dark mulatto, tanned by Native American blood or with Italian traces in his angular face? Who knows?

The winds of the sea have given Querido de Deus' face that color that is like no other, that color that is new to all painters. He travels in his boat to the southern seas where the fishing is good. How old could he be? It's impossible to know, because he has made his journey across the seas for many years, returning days later to sell his fish at the Mercado Modelo. But the old sailors tell me that over sixty winters have passed since Samuel was born.v

Over sixty, definitely. But still there is no better Capoeira player than Querido de Deus in the festivals of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia, held during the first week of December. Whoever he plays - it could be a 20-year-old guy, it could be the most agile or most technical guy in the world - Samuel Querido de Deus shows that he is still the Capoeira king of Bahia. Even his students stare wide-eyed with amazement at his rabo-de-arraia, because no one has ever seen such elegance. There are many stories about Samuel Querido de Deus told around the docks. North Americans have come to watch him, and they pay lots of money to see an exhibition by the old fighter.

Once a friend of his, a writer, told him that two cinematographers wanted to film a Capoeira fight. Samuel had just returned from fishing, ten days on the sea, and carried in his eyes a bit of the southern wind. He prepared himself to fight in front of the cameras and microphones. The match began and was superb. The cinematographers filmed with their machines.

When it was over - Samuel having won - the head cinematographer asked how much he wanted to charge. Samuel told him an impossible amount, the amount that the Americans had paid to watch him fight. Then his friend explained that these were Brazilian cinematographers, poor people. Samuel Querido de Deus smiled understandingly, said it was nothing, and invited everyone to eat lunch at the boutique.

You can see him at the docks from time to time, returning from the seas with his boat. But you'll definitely see him at the Conceição da Praia festival, taking down the capoeiristas, because he's the best of them all. His name is Samuel Querido de Deus.