Antonio Laurindo Neves was born on 17 September 1894. He is a contemporary of Mestre Bimba and Pastinha, and is one of the biggest names in Capoeira from Bahia. He was originally from the island of Maré (from where he gets his name) at the All Saints’ bay, and he is the one who came up with the expression “Galanteria da capoeira “ (Capoeira gallantry), in reference to the nobility of Capoeiristas from old Bahia.
Son of Manoel Gasparino Neves and Margarida Neves, he died on October 18, 1974, aged 80.
Mestre Maré was one of the founders of the famous Gengibirra alongside important figures of Capoeira Angola such as Mestres Noronha, Amorzinho, Aberrê, among others. He was highly respected in capoeira circles and used to sing a quatrain that indicated the privileged place he occupied in capoeira angola.