On Capoeira Songs Part II

Permalink | Posted in blog on Jul 14, 2007

By Raposa - Capoeiristas fall into two camps when it comes to singing capoeira songs in other languages. The people who are against it say that Portuguese is the traditional language of capoeira songs and we should preserve that tradition. They argue that the individual should change in order to learn capoeira, not change capoeira in order to suit the individual. Those who are in favor of singing in other languages say that capoeira has always evolved to adapt to its environment, and as capoeira spreads to other countries and cultures, non-Brazilian capoeiristas should be able to freely express themselves in their own languages. They argue that Portuguese wasn't the native language of capoeira's African creators, so why should we stick to it as "tradition"?

There are valid points on both sides, but I definitely support the first camp - I think we should keep capoeira songs in Portuguese, and I see many benefits to doing so.

First of all, the unity of the global capoeira community is at stake. Portuguese being the "universal language" of capoeira means that capoeiristas from all over the world can communicate with each other. Here in Brazil, I've met capoeiristas from France, Spain, Israel, Japan, and more - and Portuguese is the link that allows us to converse, even though it's none of our native languages. I love knowing that I can go to Australia, Russia, Mexico, South Africa, or Greece and sing "meu facao bateu embaixo" and the chorus will respond, "a bananeira caiu"! If everyone started singing in their native languages, that intercultural connection through Portuguese would start to be broken.

Secondly; yes, it does require the non-Brazilian capoeirista to learn Portuguese. But this is a GOOD thing, ladies and gentlemen! It's one of the ways capoeira helps you grow as an individual: you learn a new skill, a new language, a totally new way of expressing yourself! There are things that I can only express in Portuguese because English just doesn't have the structure/vocabulary for it (the reverse is also true). Of course learning a new language can be difficult, and of course you won't understand a lot of the songs at first, but would you rather be practicing an art that challenges you and causes you to grow, or one in which everything is easily understandable and spoon-fed to you from day one?

Regarding the argument that if we really wanted to be "traditional" we'd sing in an African language; thus, Portuguese has no special standing. This reasoning sounds all noble, but I see several flaws in it. Yes, Africans created capoeira, but when the songs were added to the art, the songs were in Portuguese. The tradition of singing in capoeira is (relatively) recent; the earliest mention I've found of songs in capoeira occurs in Manuel Raimundo Querino's book A Bahia de Outrora (Bahia of the Old Days), written in 1916. He describes capoeira and capoeiristas, and includes a song which is in Portuguese. It's not formal, grammatically perfect Portuguese, and it contains words originating in African languages (such as moleque and marimbondo) but it's definitely Portuguese. In candomble, on the other hand, which came directly from Africa, the chants and terms are in Yoruban. For whatever reason, the capoeiristas who started the tradition of singing in the roda composed their songs in Portuguese - one possibility is that Portuguese was the only method of communication possible among capoeira's early practitioners since they came (or were descended) from different tribes, cultures, and languages in Africa.

Finally, I'd like to emphasize one point that I mentioned in the introduction: YOU must change in order to learn capoeira, not try to force capoeira to change in order to better suit you. If you accept the statement, "I don't understand Portuguese, so instead of learning it I'm going to sing in my own language in order to express myself", you can rapidly progress to: "I don't know how to play the berimbau, so instead of learning it I'm going to make the piano the main instrument in the roda" or, "The ginga is hard for me, so instead of practicing it, I'm going to 'express myself' in my own way by using a fixed and immobile stance". See how it rapidly goes downhill? Of course, the debate about which changes represent capoeira's natural evolution and which changes fundamentally discharacterize the art is a whole new can of worms that I don't want to open here. However, I hope I've provided some food for thought about the advantages of keeping capoeira songs in Portuguese.

Written by Raposa, aka Shadowcat. Raposa is an American born capoeirsta who has trained for some time in Brazil. She now resides in NYC. You can drop by her My Space page. She is also involved at the online capoeira store Tienda Bahia.

Rebekah on Mar 14, 2008

Ola I love capoeira i do it every tuesdays and thursdays it is duro sometimes but most of its ok well Adeus!!And i am an australian

Jamrock on Jul 01, 2008

I do prefer to sing in portugese because it's the tradition of my Escola..but depending of different Mestres and schools, I say anything can go...The one rule that should never be broken , is the will of the Mestre. If Mestre says we sing in portugese, don't argue, you gon' sing portugese..If he's more open minded, go on and try different things ;)

Amber on Dec 16, 2008

Yeah, the whole Portuguese thing is sort of a challenge but it's fun. If you wanna express yourself you should do that in the roda or better yet grab a berimbau or piano and make a song... you could even take up writing about capoeira or painting images of it... whatever the case there's always a way to express yourself.

I love Portuguese songs. I mean you only learn like two words and then the mestre sings it all for you. It's nice to be able to say "I can speak Portuguese" and it keeps the rhythm in your head. I still can't get "Uma Africa Chego".

PErhaps it's easier for me though, I do speak another language (somewhat) natively and I had been learning Spanish for about 4-5 years when I started Capoeira. Nonetheless I think changing a tradition in a traditional sport is a bit funny. Perhaps those who really want to express themselves should go to a breakdancing class (or if they're in it for the martial arts side, a boxercise class or if they're in it for the gymnastics just do gym or trampolining or something)? Same sort of thing except their songs are in English and our club mixes a lot of elements.

Medusa on Feb 25, 2009

I think it's great that learning portuguese is part of Capoeira, it is one of the many diverse facets of the art, along with the movements, the music, the history and the other folkloric elements. Capoeira broadens horizons and as an European capoeirista opens a door to an incredibly different way of life. Capoeira is also an excellent tool for education, especially working with young people and challenging them to look beyond their immediate surroundings. It can make them excited and interested about another culture, which is a very positive outcome. Myself and some friends run workshops in schools and getting them to sing in Portuguese is awesome, and they remember the words when they leave the class, as they remember the melodies. I don't think it would be the same if it were done in English. I have heard people sing capoeira songs in English, and personally I thought it sounded awful. Also directly translating songs can also allow old capoeira songs to lose their original meanings. It's good to have a communal language amongst capoeiristas too, so wherever you go in the world you can speak to the teachers. I am still studying portuguese and it's tough and takes many years, but so does capoeira, it's a life time of studying and enjoying learning more. For me, it's just another aspect to master in the long path of capoeira, which makes capoeira so special. there's no quick path to learn capoeira, which seperates the ones who do it for love not fashion .

onca on May 01, 2009

i dont want to waste a lot of peoples time by going into why its not right to change someone elses tradition. if i have to explain it you wouldnt understand. i am an american/caucasian and honored for the opportunity to learn capoeira. if you love capoeira, humble yourself, shut your mouth and try to learn something. i have a feeling that the same people who want to change it would be the same ones who would want to keep it the same later. after THEY learned it. instead of learning the language and paying dues they want to get an ego-job from a lot of newcomers. kind of disgusting really. thumbs down.
it takes about one to three hours to learn a capoeira song in portuguese (all parts). all you need is a cd or ipod and either a computer or a pencil and paper. if i hear a song in english at a roda, im out of there.
obrigado,meu amigos

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capoeira on Nov 05, 2009

let capoeira move on...it has neves been the same since it was born, it shouldnt be now. Obviously, like for everything else, you need to know where you came from to know where you are going..so let's do something new only after learning well how it was before.

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