This article is from the newspaper Diário de Notícias in Salvador. It was published on October 10, 1970 and reprinted in the book O Barracão do Mestre Waldemar by Frederico Abreu. Translation into English by Shayna McHugh

Mestre Waldemar do Pero Vaz, besides making the best berimbaus in Bahia, is a great capoeirista among the top experts of the past, having played with Pastinha, Bimba, Totonho Marê, and so many others.

Today he only plays on Sundays, when – wearing white shoes, white pants, a plaid shirt, gold rings and watch – he returns to the old days of his favorite sport. He talks enthusiastically about capoeira, without speaking badly of any capoeirista, without speaking badly of anyone. These days he has exchanged capoeira for the berimbau, which he makes with much care and affection, and challenges: "They're the best in Bahia, yes ma'am, and I bet that I can beat any capoeirista or berimbau player in playing or singing."

A great capoeirista, Waldemar Rodrigues da Paixão, mestre Waldemar of Pero Vaz, where he has lived since 1940, did not become a professional, nor did he establish an academy. But he made a name for himself and attracted students in the community of capoeira, which he brought from Ilha de Maré to show that it’s not just the city of Salvador that has good capoeira players.

Showing a colorful berimbau painted with yellow, green, white, and red stripes and decorated with various Senhor do Bonfim ribbons, he says, "This is Ãs de Ouro, my favorite berimbau, which I’ve kept with me for six years; from it I get the rhythms to call the men for a fight of honor in the fields of angola. Whoever doesn’t believe it should come see."

Mortal Blow

Capoeira is not a death-fight, and its only mortal blow was created by Waldemar, who says: "The Dentinho de Angola (little tooth of angola) can kill, yes ma'am. The movement involves curving the body and lifting the heel of your shoe to the opponent’s Adam’s apple. It’s my 'pulo de gato.'" [Pulo de gato means 'cat's leap' It is an expression referring to a professional secret, a trick of the trade, a trump card that one keeps up one’s sleeve.]

But today, mestre Waldemar is tired and only plays for fun. Even so, he negates that capoeira is in crisis, saying, "Currently, capoeira is evolving, winning attention. Look, there are even guys seeking me out to do a news report about capoeira. In the old days it wasn't like this at all. A capoeirista was a delinquent, a tough guy who messed around with the police. Today even refined people practice angola."

White Suit 

Mestre Waldemar doesn't know capoeira regional. For him, there exists only capoeira angola, created in Brazil. Even so, he states: "I don't exactly know how capoeira started. It didn't happen in my lifetime, and I'm not going to tell lies or say that I knew people who I never even saw. What I know for sure is that capoeira is different. In the old days, we played wearing starched white suits and impeccable shoes, and we didn't get dirty. That is, unless the opponent was disloyal and stuck his foot onto us. But that was playing dirty; it's not like today, where capoeiristas grab each other with their hands. In my time, capoeira was played only with the feet and head, in a fight of agility and quickness. The important thing was to have a good head and fast feet."

With Caymmi

"I've only been in Rio de Janeiro once," continues Mestre Waldemar, "but it was worth it. It was in 1953, when I performed in Dorival Caymmi's show. 'It just so happens that I'm Bahian,' and I stayed there for 45 days, you know, as the opportunities arose and I gave my price for the presentation. Then other capoeiristas came along who charged less, and they crossed my path, and that was the end of my trip."

A student of mestre Telabi from Periperi, Waldemar do Pero Vaz is a peaceful capoeirista who doesn’t criticize anyone; he has nothing but praise for the great capoeiristas of the past: "Agripino de Periperi, Pastinha, Totonho de Maré, Barbosa do Cabeça (a porter, the capoeirista with the best technique I've ever seen), Onça Preta who went to Rio de Janeiro and I don’t know if he's alive or dead."

Berimbau and Music

Today, Waldemar do Pero Vaz dedicates himself more to the berimbaus and rhythms; he also writes songs. One of them even talks about going to the moon:

Waldemar points to the capoeiristas of the future who have been his students: José Cabelo Bom and Zacarias Boa Morte, who will continue his tradition. "But what I want to do right now is make berimbaus, instruments with such a lovely sound, commanding angola, with Cavalaria, São Bento Grande, São Bento Pequeno." He says, "whoever wants to see me should come to Pero Vaz on Sunday, when I'll give one of my berimbaus as an homage to mestre Caiçara."

Disunity

"The great tragedy," concludes mestre Waldemar, "is that Bahia is stuffed with capoeira mestres and no one understands each other any more. But the people are the eternal and infallible judges that will determine who are the true mestres, the keepers of the truth. But what’s worse is that each mestre speaks badly about the others; there is no unity, no one thinks that the group should be united. Look at the example of doctors: a patient is being treated, one doctor gives him medicine and the sick man ends up in the cemetery. Another doctor examines him, sees that the medicine caused the death, asks who treated the patient, but doesn't ridicule his colleague. They're a united group. But these capoeiristas just fight among themselves."