Esta roda que começa agora
Tá ficando boa não quer terminar
A roda da Capoeira
Pernada, rasteira e salto no ar
E ê, Batuque ê a
No batuque dessa roda
Tem muita energia para jogar
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
Tem mandinga tem malícia
Tem água de coco eu vou tomar
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
Meia lua cabeçada
Tem rabo de arraia à derribar
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
Tem biriba tem viola
Atabaque e pandeiro pra tocar
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
Esta roda que termina agora
Tá ficando boa não quer terminar
A roda da Capoeira
Pernada, rasteira e salto no ar
E ê, Batuque ê a
No Batuque dessa roda
Tem muita energia para jogar
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
This roda that starts now
Is getting good and doesn’t want to end
The Capoeira roda
Kicks, sweeps, and leaps into the air
E ê, Batuque ê a
In the rhythm of this roda
There’s a lot of energy to play
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
There’s magic, there’s malice
There’s coconut water that I’m going to drink
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
Meia lua, headbutt
There’s a rabo de arraia to knock down
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
There’s biriba, there’s a viola
Atabaque and tambourine to play
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
This roda that ends now
Is getting good and doesn’t want to end
The Capoeira roda
Kicks, sweeps, and leaps into the air
E ê, Batuque ê a
In the rhythm of this roda
There’s a lot of energy to play
Batuque ê ê, Batuque ê a
Did you know?
Atabaque
- The atabaque is a large, hand-carved wooden drum of African origin that provides the deep, foundational heartbeat and grounding bass line for the capoeira orchestra.
- In the musical layout of the roda, it holds a critical position by anchoring the pulse of the room and maintaining the strict tempo dictated by the leading gunga berimbau.
- The drum is constructed in a conical shape from wooden staves bound together with iron hoops, topped with a stretched animal hide head that is tuned using wooden wedges and ropes.
- Capoeiristas play it using open-hand palm strikes and finger slaps on the drumhead, creating low bass tones and high, sharp rims that drive the forward momentum of the music.
- In the traditional setup of Capoeira Angola, a single atabaque is placed at the far end of the instrument row, locking the rhythm tightly with the pandeiros.
- Beyond its musical purpose, it holds a sacred, spiritual role rooted in Afro-Brazilian traditions, functioning as a powerful engine that elevates the physical energy of the capoeiristas.
Batuque
- Batuque was a formidable, highly competitive Afro-Brazilian martial art centered around balance and leg sweeps that originated in Salvador, Bahia, during the 19th century.
- The main objective of the combat was to unbalance opponents and forcefully throw them to the ground using only kicks, trips, and sweeps.
- The combat was driven by the booming rhythms of hand drums and traditional percussion instruments, which set the intense physical energy and pace for the fighters.
- Mestre Bimba was a master of this style, learning the art directly from his father, who was an absolute champion of the discipline.
- He heavily integrated the techniques and devastating leg sweeps of this combat art into the creation of Capoeira Regional.
- While the independent martial practice eventually became extinct by the mid-20th century, its combative spirit and lethal mechanics live on through capoeira.
Biriba
- Biriba is the highly prized, traditional wood harvested from the Eschweilera ovata tree used to craft the verga, which is the flexible wooden bow and backbone of the berimbau.
- Sourced primarily from the Atlantic Forest of Bahia, this specific timber is legendary among capoeiristas for possessing the perfect natural combination of strength, flexibility, and elasticity.
- Its unique physical traits allow the instrument to be heavily flexed and armed under intense tension countless times throughout its life without snapping or permanently losing its shape.
- In old-school tradition, master craftsmen harvest the wood during specific moon phases and carefully shave, sand, and varnish the branch while adding leather protection at the top tip.
- Today, due to the global expansion of the art and high demand, true Bahian biriba is highly protected, prompting capoeiristas to treat their instruments with immense care and reverence.
Pandeiro
- The pandeiro is a traditional hand-frame drum and tambourine of African and European origin that provides the essential heartbeat and syncopated drive within the capoeira orchestra.
- In the musical hierarchy of the roda, it plays a critical supporting role by filling the sonic space beneath the leading voice of the berimbau.
- The instrument features a stretched animal hide head over a round wooden frame embedded with crisp metal jingles called platinelas that cut sharply through the singing.
- Capoeiristas utilize a precise technique of alternating thumb strikes, heel-and-toe hand pivots, and sharp finger slaps to generate a driving, syncopated rhythm.
- In Capoeira Angola, two pandeiros are traditionally positioned to flank the three berimbaus, locking the baseline rhythm alongside the deep beat of the atabaque.
- Today, mastering the pandeiro is a foundational requirement for all capoeiristas, ensuring they can actively maintain the high energy, timing, and momentum of the roda.
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.