Capoeira, é defesa, ataque
a ginga de corpo e a malandragem, Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
a ginga de corpo e a malandragem
São Fransisco Nunes
Preto Velho meu avô
Ensinou para o meu pai
Mas meu pai não me ensinou, Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
O Maculelê
é a dança do pau
Na roda de Capoeira
é no toque do berimbau, Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Eu já tive em Moçambique
Eu já tive em Guinè
Tô voltando de Angola
Com o jogo de Malè, Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Se você quer aprender
Vai ter que praticar
Mas na roda de Capoeira
É gostoso de jogar, Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Capoeira
é defesa, ataque
é ginga de corpo e a malandragem
Capoeira, is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem, Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
St. Fransiscus Nunes
Old black man, my grandfather
He taught my father
but my father did not teach me, Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
The maculelê
is a dance with woods
In the roda of Capoeira
it’s in the rhythm of the berimbau, Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
I have already been to Mozambique
I have already been to Guine
I’m coming back from Angola
with the game of Malè, Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
If you want to learn
go practice it
But in the roda of Capoeira
it’s a delight to play, Capoeira
Capoeira, is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
Capoeira
is a defense, an attack
the ginga of the body and the malandragem
Did you know?
Angola
- Angola is the West-Central African nation that serves as the primary ancestral and cultural birthplace of the rhythms, movements, and spiritual roots of capoeira.
- During the transatlantic slave trade, millions of people were forcibly taken from this region to Brazil, bringing with them rich martial traditions like the combat dance N'golo.
- The country's deep historical connection is permanently embedded in the art through Capoeira Angola, the traditional style dedicated to preserving these original roots.
- The name is universally celebrated in the roda through countless traditional songs that invoke Angola as a sacred land of ancestors, memory, and profound longing.
- The primary instrument of the art, the berimbau, is directly tied to Angolan musical heritage, evolving from traditional bow instruments like the mbulumbumba.
- Today, capoeiristas view the nation as a ultimate cultural touchstone, representing the unbreakable bond between African resistance and Brazilian identity.
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.
Maculelê
- Maculelê is a vibrant Afro-Brazilian warrior dance that was rescued from near-extinction in the 1940s by Mestre Popó in Santo Amaro, Bahia.
- Mestre Popó formed the historic troupe that standardized the choreography, songs, and dynamic stick-striking steps practiced today.
- Due to his vital preservation work, early capoeira masters quickly integrated this high-energy performance into their own academies.
- The dance simulates a fluid combat scenario where capoeiristas form a circle and strike wooden sticks or machetes to a blistering rhythm.
- The music is driven by the booming beat of the atabaque drum, paired with traditional chants that honor plantation history and local heroes.
- Today, capoeiristas train in this art to dramatically improve their agility, physical coordination, and rhythmic timing inside the roda.