Ai, meu tempo, faz tanto tempo
que o meu tempo não volta mais
quando os negos de Aruanda
cantavem coros iguais
Ai, meu tempo, faz tanto tempo
que o meu tempo não volta mais
quando os negos de Aruanda
cantavem coros iguais
Nos somos pretos da capanga de Aruanda
a Conceição viemos louvar
Aranda e e e, Aranda e e a
Nos somos pretos da capanga de Aruanda
a Conceição viemos louvar
Aranda e e e, Aranda e e a
Preto velho ficava sentado
no batente do velho portão
Preto velho com sua viola
Preto velho com seu violão
Preto velho com sua viola
Preto velho com seu violão
La na festa da Conceição
todo mundo pedindo e implorava
O menino pegava a viola
Preto velho então cantarolava
O menino pegava a viola
Preto velho então cantarolava
Oh my old days, it has been so long
my old days will never return
when the blacks of Aruanda
sang together in a choir
Oh my old days, it has been so long
my old days will never return
when the blacks of Aruanda
sang together in a choir
We are the black guards of Aruanda
who came to praise Conceição
Aranda e e e, Aranda e e a
We are the black guards of Aruanda
who came to praise Conceição
Aranda e e e, Aranda e e a
The old black man was sitting
on the step of the old gate
Old man with your viola
Old man with your guitar
Old man with your viola
Old man with your guitar
At the feast of Conceição
everybody asked for forgiveness
The boy took the viola
The old man began to sing
The boy took the viola
The old man began to sing
Did you know?
Aruanda
- Aruanda is a mythical, spiritual realm in Afro-Brazilian folklore that represents a paradise of freedom, peace, and ancestral connection.
- The name is a linguistic evolution of Luanda, transforming a real African slave port into a sacred, heavenly home for displaced souls.
- For enslaved Africans, it was envisioned as a utopian land where they would finally be liberated from the horrors of bondage and reunited with their deities.
- In the roda, capoeiristas frequently sing of this realm to invoke a deep sense of spiritual protection, nostalgia, and reverence for the ancestors.
- Traditional songs often describe masters and legendary fighters returning to this paradise after their passing, keeping their memory alive in the music.
Viola
- The viola—or violinha—is the highest-pitched berimbau in the orchestra, distinct for having the smallest gourd resonator and the most rigid wooden staff.
- Because its thicker wood requires immense physical strength to flex and string tightly, it produces a very sharp, bright, and piercing acoustic sound.
- In the musical hierarchy of the roda, it serves as the ultimate soloist, breaking away from the steady baseline rhythm maintained by the deeper instruments.
- Its primary role is to improvise, add rhythmic fills, and inject intricate variations that add texture and high energy to the atmosphere.
- It cuts through the heavy collective sound of the percussion easily, creating tiny acoustic spaces for expressive, advanced musical details.
- For capoeiristas, mastering the viola represents a high level of musical maturity, acting like a lead guitar that drives the spirit and flavor of the game.