Acorda, Maria Bonita
Levanta, vem fazer o café
Que o dia já vem raiando
E a polícia já está de pé
Acorda, Maria Bonita
Levanta, vem fazer o café
Que o dia já vem raiando
E a polícia já está de pé
Wake up, Maria Bonita
Get up, come make coffee
Because the day is already dawning
And the police are already on their feet
Wake up, Maria Bonita
Get up, come make coffee
Because the day is already dawning
And the police are already on their feet
Did you know?
Maria Bonita
- Maria Bonita (1911–1938), born Maria Gomes de Oliveira, was the legendary "Queen of the Cangaço" and companion to the outlaw leader Lampião.
- She made history as the very first woman to join a cangaço band, breaking deep-seated patriarchal and superstitious traditions in the northeastern Brazilian backlands.
- Living a nomadic and dangerous life, she actively participated in guerrilla resistance, wore specialized leather gear, and fought alongside the band with a rifle.
- Her entry into the gang completely transformed its internal dynamics, paving the way for other women to join the otherwise male-dominated outlaw groups.
- She met a tragic end when she was ambushed, killed, and brutally decapitated by a government military police force at Angicos ranch in Sergipe.
- Today, her legacy lives on as an enduring symbol of female resilience and defiance, immortalized through countless capoeira songs, folk stories, and cultural adaptations.