au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
Au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
Tá no sangue da raça brasileira
Capoeira
É da nossa cor
Berimbau
É da nossa cor
Atabaque
É da nossa cor
O pandeiro
É da nossa cor
Au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
Au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
Au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
It’s in the blood of the Brazilian race
Capoeira
It’s our colour
Berimbau
It’s our colour
Atabaque
It’s our colour
O pandeiro
It’s been our colour
Au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
Au ê au ê au ê ê
E Lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê lê ô
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.
Berimbau
- The berimbau is a single-string musical bow of African origin that functions as the absolute leader and commander of the roda.
- The instrument dictates the exact speed, stylistic tone, and combat intensity of the capoeiristas through specific rhythms known as toques.
- A traditional berimbau is constructed from a wooden staff, a steel wire, a hollowed gourd resonator, a small stone or coin, a bamboo shaker, and a wooden thin stick.
- In a traditional orchestra, three distinct pitches are used: the deep-toned gunga to lead the group, the medium médio to hold the rhythm, and the high-pitched viola to improvise.
- Enslaved Africans historically used the live music of the bow to camouflage their outlawed martial art, making the training look like an innocent dance to colonial authorities.
- Today, the instrument holds a sacred status within the art, and capoeiristas show immense reverence toward it, celebrating its spiritual voice in countless traditional songs.
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.