Mestre Boca Rica (Manoel Silva) was born on November 26, 1936, in Maragogipe, Bahia. In the 1950s, he moved to Salvador, where he began his journey in Capoeira Angola with the legendary Mestre Pastinha at the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola (CECA) in Pelourinho.

Through Capoeira, Mestre Boca Rica has traveled to more than 40 countries, performing for Queen Elizabeth and the Princess of Denmark, appearing in the award-winning film Pagador de Promessas, and earning honors such as the Notório Saber title from D. Pedro II College of Salvador and the Tomé de Souza Medal from the Salvador City Council.

He has released over ten CDs, sharing the songs and stories of Capoeira with the world. He is renowned as one of Capoeira’s greatest singers. His voice is instantly recognized in timeless songs like “Mandei Caiar Meu Sobrado,” “Maranhão,” and “Sambalelê Bateu na Porta.”

Few Mestres are as dedicated as he is to preserving the deep, traditional tuning of the berimbau, just as the old masters played. An expert berimbau player himself, Mestre Boca Rica knows countless toques, including many from Capoeira Regional.

His biggest influences remain his beloved Mestre Pastinha, as well as Mestre Waldemar da Paixão and Mestre Bimba. Now in his eighties, Mestre Boca Rica remains active and deeply respected, ever present in the rodas — inspiring new generations to keep Capoeira’s true spirit alive.