Bené do Correio

Bené do Correio was a capoeirista of Salvador, Bahia, active during the early-to-mid 20th century. His name appears in one of the most important primary sources in capoeira history: Mestre Pastinha's 1967 interview with Revista Realidade magazine.

In February 1967, the 78-year-old Pastinha—nearly blind but still teaching at his academy in Pelourinho—spoke with journalist Roberto Freire about the great capoeiristas of the past. Pastinha listed Bené do Correio among 17 deceased practitioners of "pure Capoeira de Angola", alongside Bigode de Seda, Américo Ciência, Bugalho, Amorzinho, Zé Bom Pé, Chico Três Pedaços, Tibirici da Folha Grossa, Doze Homens, Inimigo Sem Tripa, Zé do U, Vitorino Braço Torto, Zé do Saco, Sete Mortes, Chico Me Dá, and two women: Júlia Fogareira and Maria Homem.

Pastinha remarked of these figures: "Cada nome destes é uma história"—each of these names is a story. He observed that their apelidos revealed "who they were, how they fought", suggesting these nicknames encoded information about their fighting styles, personalities, or occupations.

The apelido "Bené do Correio" follows a common Brazilian naming pattern where "Bené" (short for Benedito) is followed by an occupational identifier. "Correio" means "post office" or "mail service" in Portuguese, indicating that this capoeirista was likely associated with postal work—perhaps as a letter carrier, messenger, or post office employee. In early 20th century Salvador, work at or near the correio was common for men of the working class, the same demographic that produced many capoeiristas.

Notably, Mestre Pastinha himself worked at the correio after leaving the Navy around 1910. According to sources, "foi trabalhar no Diário da Bahia como ganhador, levando gazeta para o correio e assinaturas, ganhando 1.600 réis. Depois foi trabalhar no correio, no comércio, como carregador". This shared occupational background may explain how Pastinha knew Bené do Correio—they may have been colleagues or crossed paths in the postal trade.

Beyond Pastinha's mention, no other documentation of Bené do Correio has been found. He represents one of the many capoeiristas whose contributions to the art have been largely lost to history, remembered only through the oral testimony of those who knew them.