Music

The music of Capoeira is integral to the art and lends historical insight to the origins, mestres, traditions of the art as well as Brazilian folklore and legends. The music acknowledges the slavery, oppression and eventual freedom that resulted from the practice of the art.

All of the songs are sung in Portuguese and the songs can comment on the game metaphorically or directly. They can acknowledge roots through places and symbolic aspects of Capoeira. There are also greeting songs and farewell songs.

Types of Songs include: Ladainha, Louvacao, Corridos and Quadras

Instruments

The Berimbau is the predominant instrument of Capoeira and dictates the rhythm and type of game to be played in the roda.

The berimbau is made up of a wooden stick called the “beriba“, whcih is strung with a steel string, the “arame” to form a bow shape. The gourd, “cabaca” acts as a resonator and to make the sounds a stone or coin “dobrao” is pressed against the steel string and hit with a thin bamboo stick “paqueta“. There is also a small basket shaker called a “caxixi” which is used as part of the percussion.

Although this instrument seems simplistic, it creates complex sounds in both tonality and rhythm.

There are three types of Berimbaus: Gunga, Medio and Viola. The gunga is the largest of the three and has the deepest sound. Like the bass guitar, it sets the rhythm and plays the basic theme. The Medio compliments the Gunga by maintaining the rhythm. The viola, the smallest of the three, has the sharpest sound and is responsible for syncopation or improvisation. The rhythms of the berimbaus are known as toques and the toques control the type of game played in the roda.

Some of the more commonly played toques in our group include:

• Regional de Bimba
• Angola
• Iuna
• Sao Bento Grande de Angola
• Sao Bento Pequeno de Angola
• Samba de Roda

The other instruments in the roda are:

• Atabaque
• Pandeiro
• Agogo

Songs

There are thousands of capoeira songs and new songs are being written and sung all the time. The songs are the heart and soul of the capoeira, relaying personal stories, legend and often times expressing the game at present. All capoeira songs are sung in Brazilian Portuguese. Many popular songs are sung by groups all over the world. We are always learning new songs and we will continue to add links and lyrics to our site. We are fortunate that today we have the technology to share songs rapidly and more accurately.

Below are some you tube links to some of the songs frequently sung in our school. We’d like to thank the capoeira community, students, teachers and mestres for sharing their music and lyrics on you tube for us all to enjoy, learn and sing in our rodas. Happy learning!

To help us keep our page up to date, please let us know if there are any links that do not work, or if you would like to see a song added.

1. Um Pe Passou
2. E da Nossa Cor
3. Me Leva Pra Bahia
4. Boa Viagem
5. Sim Sim, Nao Nao & Vou Dizer a Meu Senor
6. Roda Ja Commecou
7. Rainha do Mar (Mora Iemanja)
8. Zum zum zum
9. Onde vai Caima
10. Bem ti vi vuou (la la laue)
11. Um dois tres quatro cinco seis
12. AEIOU
13. A hora e essa
14. Jogo Praticado Na Terra de Sao Salvador
15. Marinheiro So
16. Palma de Bimba
17. Eu Pisei na Folha Seca
18. Meu Orgulho
19. Capoeira e Ligeiro
20. Sinha
21. Tem que ter axe
22. Paranaue Parana
23. A capoeira meu amor
24. Tava na beira do mar
25. E me Leva na Bahia
26. Bamba na Capoeira
27. Quero Ver Cair
28. E legal
29. Vai colorindo
30. Gostoso de jogar
31. Tim tim tim la vai viola
32. Boa Noite (Maculele)
33. Senor Dono da Casa (Maculele)
34. Sou Eu Maculele (Maculele)
35. Puxada De Rede (song for folkloric fisherman’s dance)