Mandei caiar meu sobrado
Mandei, mandei, mandei
Mandei caiar de amarelo
Caiei, caiei, caiei
Mandei caiar meu sobrado
Mandei, mandei, mandei
Mandei caiar de amarelo
Caiei, caiei, caiei
Amarelo que lembra dourado
Dourado, que é meu berimbau
Dourado, de cordão de ouro
Besouro, Besouro, Besouro
Mandei caiar meu sobrado
Mandei, mandei, mandei
Mandei caiar de amarelo
Caiei, caiei, caiei
Pra quem nunca ouviu falar
Pra aqueles que dizem: é lenda
Pois saibam que Besouro Preto
Viveu, viveu e morreu
Mandei caiar meu sobrado
Mandei, mandei, mandei
Mandei caiar de amarelo
Caiei, caiei, caiei
Pras bandas de Maracangalha
Sem temer a inimigo nenhum
Não valeu, seu corpo fechado
Pras facas de aticum
Mandei caiar meu sobrado
Mandei, mandei, mandei
Mandei caiar de amarelo
Caiei, caiei, caiei
Mas mesmo depois de morto
Entre uma e outra cantiga
Besouro vai sempre viver
Enquanto existir mandinga
Mandei caiar meu sobrado
Mandei, mandei, mandei
Mandei caiar de amarelo
Caiei, caiei, caiei
I had my townhouse whitewashed
I sent, I sent, I sent
I had it whitewashed yellow
I whitewashed, I whitewashed, I whitewashed
I had my townhouse whitewashed
I sent, I sent, I sent
I had it whitewashed yellow
I whitewashed, I whitewashed, I whitewashed
Yellow that reminds of gold
Gold, which is my berimbau
Gold, with a gold cord
Beetle, Beetle, Beetle
I had my townhouse whitewashed
I sent, I sent, I sent
I had it whitewashed yellow
I whitewashed, I whitewashed, I whitewashed
For those who never heard of it
For those who say: it’s a legend
Know that Black Beetle
Lived, lived and died
I had my townhouse whitewashed
I sent, I sent, I sent
I had it whitewashed yellow
I whitewashed, I whitewashed, I whitewashed
To the lands of Maracangalha
Without fearing any enemy
It was no use, your body protected
Against the aticum knives
I had my townhouse whitewashed
I sent, I sent, I sent
I had it whitewashed yellow
I whitewashed, I whitewashed, I whitewashed
But even after death
Between one and another song
Beetle will always live
As long as mandinga exists
I had my townhouse whitewashed
I sent, I sent, I sent
I had it whitewashed yellow
I whitewashed, I whitewashed, I whitewashed
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.
Besouro Mangangá
- Besouro Mangangá was born Manoel Henrique Pereira in Bahia and grew into a legendary capoeirista whose unparalleled physical feats earned him mythic status.
- His primary nickname Besouro, meaning beetle, praised his uncanny ability to evade police, while Mangangá referenced a venomous beetle to match his lethal sting.
- He was also famously known by the names Besouro Preto and Besouro Cordão de Ouro, using these aliases to hide his true identity from criminal authorities.
- Popular folklore claimed he possessed magical protection, including the power to fly away from danger and a mystical body closed against blades and bullets.
- He became a champion for the poor, frequently fighting abusive landowners and police forces to protect the rights of vulnerable Afro-Brazilian workers.
- His life ended tragically when he was ambushed and stabbed with a special wooden dagger, the only weapon believed capable of breaking his defense.
Maracangalha
- Maracangalha is a historic rural district in the state of Bahia, Brazil, deeply rooted in the history, folklore, and musical traditions of capoeira street culture.
- The area is universally famous as the final resting place of the legendary capoeira hero Besouro Mangangá, who was fatally ambushed and stabbed there in July 1924.
- In capoeira rodas, the name serves as a lyrical warning or call to action, reminding players to stay highly alert to immediate danger and deception.
- It became a central part of mainstream Brazilian pop culture through Dorival Caymmi's iconic 1957 samba song about traveling to the district in a white uniform and straw hat.
- Historically a region driven by sugarcane farms and processing mills, it is honored today with monument plaques dedicated to keeping the memory of Besouro alive.