Manoel dos Reis Machado a.k.a "Mestre Bimba"
The Fascinating Life of Manoel dos Reis Machado
Born in Salvador in 1899 (although not officially registered until 1900), Manoel dos Reis Machado lived an incredible life that has been the subject of much discussion and intrigue. Despite his true birth year being a point of confusion, 1900 is the date most commonly used in publications.
Machado's parents, Luiz Cândido Machado and Maria Martinha do Bonfim, gave birth to him in the Bairro do Engenho Velho, Salvador. His nickname "Bimba" arose from a bet between his mother and the midwife during his birth. His mother wagered that he would be a girl, while the midwife believed he would be a boy. Following his delivery, the midwife exclaimed "it's a boy, look at his Bimba" (referring to his male genitalia), thus giving him his lifelong nickname.
At the age of 12, Machado began to learn capoeira from a Navigation Captain named Bentinho, who worked for the Companhia Baiana de Navegação, at Estrada das Boiadas (present-day Bairro da Liberdade) in Salvador. Despite the authorities' persecution of capoeira at the time, Machado persevered and became one of the legendary founding fathers of contemporary capoeira. Alongside Vicente Ferreira Pastinha ("Mestre Pastinha"), Machado is considered to be the father of modern Capoeira Angola.
Throughout his life, Machado held a variety of jobs, including coal miner, carpenter, warehouse worker, longshoreman, and horse coach conductor. However, he will always be remembered primarily as a Capoeirista
