Vou navegando pelo mundo eu vou
A capoeira foi quem me chamou
Vou navegando pelo mundo eu vou
A capoeira foi quem me levou
Num barco a vela ao sabor do vento
Não tenho pressa mas não perco tempo
A capoeira me ensinou
A capoeira foi quem me criou
Me deu o norte neste meu caminho
Me deu a sorte de não andar sozinho
Levo comigo berimbau maneiro
Um patuá benzido,
Forte e mandingueiro
Num barco a vela em direção do norte
Vento da vida me leva ligeiro
Oh leva eu, oh leva eu camará
Berimbau maneiro,
é meu companheiro no meu caminhar
Oh leva eu, oh leva eu camará
Berimbau maneiro,
é meu companheiro no meu caminhar
I sail through the world I go
Capoeira was who called me
I sail through the world I go
Capoeira was who took me
In a sailboat at the mercy of the wind
I’m not in a hurry but I don’t waste time
Capoeira taught me
Capoeira was who raised me
Gave me the north on this my path
Gave me the luck of not walking alone
I carry with me a cool berimbau
A blessed amulet,
Strong and magical
In a sailboat heading north
Wind of life takes me swiftly
Oh take me, oh take me comrade
Cool berimbau,
is my companion on my walk
Oh take me, oh take me comrade
Cool berimbau,
is my companion on my walk
Did you know?
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.