Vicente Joaquim Ferreira Pastinha, better known as Mestre Pastinha, was born on April 5th, 1889, in Salvador, Bahia. A pivotal figure in the history of Capoeira, Mestre Pastinha's legacy extends far beyond his personal practice of the art form. His father, José Señor Pastinha, a Spaniard who owned a small shop in the center of Salvador, and his mother, Maria Eugenia, a woman from Santo Amaro da Purificação who earned a living selling acarajé and washing clothes, laid the foundation for a life marked by resilience and determination.

From a young age, Mestre Pastinha was no stranger to adversity. As a child, he was bullied by older children, a challenge that shaped his character and led him to encounter Mestre Benedito, an elderly African neighbor who introduced him to Capoeira at the age of 10. This chance meeting would alter the course of Pastinha's life. Under the guidance of Mestre Benedito, Pastinha began to study the art form that would become his passion and life’s work.

Mestre Pastinha's journey in Capoeira was diverse. By the age of 12, he was enrolled in the Escuela de Aprendiz de Marineros (School for Sailors) and later served in the navy, where he began sharing the art of Capoeira with his fellow sailors. His varied career included playing football, working as a shoe-shiner, selling newspapers, practicing fencing, and even working as a tailor and security guard. However, it was Capoeira that truly called to him, and he devoted his life to its practice and preservation.

In 1941, Mestre Pastinha opened the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola in Salvador, marking a pivotal moment in the professionalization of Capoeira. At that time, there were no standardized uniforms in Capoeira, and practitioners wore whatever they wished. To formalize the art, Mestre Pastinha introduced a uniform, choosing the colors yellow and black in homage to his favorite football team, Ypiranga. These colors are still associated with many Capoeira Angola groups today.

Mestre Pastinha's work extended far beyond the walls of his academy. He traveled internationally, representing Brazil and Capoeira in various events. In 1965, he published the book Capoeira Angola, outlining his philosophy and training methods, and in 1966, he participated in the Festival Mundial de Arte Negra in Senegal. His performance there was widely celebrated and brought global attention to Capoeira.

Despite his growing fame and the success of his academy, Mestre Pastinha faced immense hardship in the later years of his life. In 1973, he was evicted from his academy under the pretense of renovations, but it was never returned to him