Adeilton Silva Santos, known in capoeira as Mestre Cabeça, was born on April 1, 1970 in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brasil, and began training capoeira in 1980 with Mestre Lucas. In 1990, he received the graduation of Contra-Mestre in the group with which he initiated his capoeira training. At this time he moved to the south of Brasil to the city of Curitiba where he began teaching capoeira classes. One year later, in 1991 he joined Grupo Capoeira Brasil under his Mestre, Mestre Paulinho Sabiá, one of the founders of the group. Together with Indio, he was responsible for the placement of Grupo Capoeira Brasil in the southern region of the country. During this time, he held various batizados.
In 1994 he returned to the city of Aracaju in the state of Sergipe where he established Grupo Capoeira Brasil in his city under the supervision of Mestre Paulinho Sabiá. He received his black cord, the cord of Formado, in 2000, and in 2008, received the official title of “Mestre” from Grupo Capoeira Brasil for his contribution to Grupo Capoeira Brasil and to capoeira. People who greatly influenced Cabeça include his first Mestre, Mestre Itapoan, Mestre Ezekiel, Mestre Paulo dos Anjos, and his Mestre, Mestre Paulinho Sabiá. These people were always close to him, speaking with him about capoeira and showing him the path of understanding.
After 29 years of practicing capoeira, Mestre Cabeça continues to train and to study capoeira with the same enthusiasm he had on his first day of training; and he is constantly working towards his objective of one day becoming a great Mestre. He currently has groups in numerous cities and states within Brasil and countries abroad, including France, Guiana-Francesa, Moçambique, and the USA. Mestre Cabeça wishes to present capoeira as a cultural legacy, a fight, and a sport, while emphasizing the benefits that it brings to its practitioners in the form of self-confidence, strength, flexibility, discipline and self-awareness. He also hopes to pass along the true history of capoeira - a fight and a sport that is truly Brasilian.