Paulo Cesar Leite dos Santos, or Mestre Pintor, as he is known in Capoeira circles, is the founder, master, and director of the Grupo Bantus Capoeira organization worldwide.

He began practicing Capoeira as a teenager. Later, he trained in Belo Horizonte and then in Bahia, seeking knowledge of Capoeira, before settling at Mestre João Pequeno de Pastinha’s academy in Salvador, Bahia. He graduated as a master in 1989 with Grupo Ginga at the School of Physical Education in Belo Horizonte and, after a few more years, graduated as a master of Capoeira Angola.

Grupo Bantus Capoeira was founded by Mestre Pintor in 1991 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Mestre Pintor has over 40 years experience in Capoeira, and was taught by the world famous Mestre João Pequeno. Bantus Capoeira now has branches across Brazil, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Israel, Singapore, Indonesia & Thailand. 

At Bantus Capoeira we play the Angola, Regional, and Contemporânea styles of Capoeira. We also practice Samba, Maculelê, Puxada de Rede, Dança Afro and Forró, all forms of Brazilian dance.