Tá me chamando ouvi berimbau tocar
São Bento Grande, proteja o meu caminho
Sou Capoeira, berimbau mandou chamar
A roda boa é hora de vadiar
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Meu camarada, a mandinga nao é briga
É o segredo é a magia é o saber
Presta atenção pra você não se perder
A capoeira tem axé e tem dendê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia no som do meu atabaque
Vadeia no som do meu berimbau
Vedeia no axé e no coral
Sinta energia do meu canto ancestral
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
O vento balançava os coqueiros
O capoeira jogando à beira do mar
Uma roda de mandinga e mandingueiro
O canto me fazia arrepiar
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
Vadeia Vadiando Vadeia ê
It’s calling me, I heard the berimbau play
São Bento Grande, protect my path
I am Capoeira, the berimbau called me
The roda is good it’s time to play
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
My comrade, mandinga (trickery) is not a fight
It’s secrecy, it’s magic, it’s knowledge
Pay attention so you don’t get lost
Capoeira has axé (energy) and dendê (spirit)
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade in the sound of my atabaque (drum)
Wade in the sound of my berimbau
Wade in the axé and the coral
Feel the energy of my ancestral song
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
The wind swayed the coconut trees
The capoeirista playing by the sea
A roda of mandinga and mandingueiro
The song was making me shiver
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
Wade to wander, wade to the sea
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.
Dendê
- Dendê refers to the vibrant palm oil imported from West Africa that became a fundamental element in Afro-Brazilian cooking, spiritual rituals, and capoeira culture.
- In the context of the roda, the word represents the vital energy, spice, intensity, and deep passion that capoeiristas bring to their physical game.
- When a match becomes exceptionally dynamic, fast-paced, and full of creative cunning, it is frequently described as having a lot of dendê.
- Capoeiristas regularly invoke the term in traditional songs to request spiritual strength, alertness, and an energetic spark from the musicians.
- It serves as a cultural symbol of resilience, honoring the historical preservation of African identities and survival strategies in Brazil.
- Today, having this quality means playing with authentic soul and drive, ensuring the performance remains captivating, sharp, and powerful.
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