Mestre Gato Preto
- Lived in: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Date of Birth: 19-Mar-1930
- Date of Death: 06-Aug-2002
- Learned from: Mestre Cobrinha Verde, Mestre Eutíquio Lúcio Góes, Mestre João Catarino, Mestre Leó
- Capoeira Style: Angola
Biography:
Mestre Gato Preto — José Gabriel Góes
19 March 1930 (per his own words) — 6 August 2002 • Santo Amaro da Purificação → Salvador
Born in Santo Amaro da Purificação, José Gabriel Góes grew up inside capoeira. His first teacher was his father, Eutíquio Lúcio Góes, and his early circle included his uncle João Catarino, a student of Besouro. After time in São Braz training with Leó, he moved to Salvador at seventeen and became a disciple of Mestre Cobrinha Verde. Those years gave him the hallmarks people still associate with his name—sharp timing, quiet authority, and a berimbau that set the tone before a single kick was thrown.
By the 1950s he was working closely with Mestre Pastinha’s academy, often serving as contra-mestre of the bateria with Cobrinha Verde. In 1955 he opened his own academy in Barra. Music traveled with him. He recorded on the landmark 1962 LP “Capoeira” alongside Traíra and Cobrinha Verde, and his berimbau became part of the sound that defined a generation of Capoeira Angola.
Gato Preto’s circle widened to the world. He performed at the inauguration of Brasília in 1960 and helped represent Brazil at the 1966 Festival of Black Arts in Dakar with Pastinha, João Grande, and Camafeu de Oxóssi. He taught widely, mentored future references such as Mestre Mau (Marcelino) and Boa Gente, and carried the style of Santo Amaro into new cities and countries without losing its roots.
Some sources list a different birth name and year. Tribute pages sometimes say 1929 or “Gerônimo Braga,” yet on a 2001 recording he states plainly that he was born in 1930. What never changes is the legacy. He passed away in Salvador on 6 August 2002, and his presence is honored in the Arena da Capoeira monument. In the roda, “Gato Preto” meant agility and nerve—elegant risk at the exact right beat. His game still echoes wherever the berimbau calls and the circle answers.
Notable teachers: Eutíquio Lúcio Góes, João Catarino, Leó, Cobrinha Verde
Notable moments: Brasília 1960, Dakar 1966, LP Capoeira (1962)
Notable students: Mestre Mau (Marcelino), Boa Gente
