Capoeira Song of the Week: O Que É Berimbau?

You submit the songs. We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

O Que É Berimbau?

O que é berimbau?

​Ooh keeh eh/ah beeh-reehnh-BAH/OOH

What is a berimbau?

(coro/chorus)​

A cabaça, arame, e um pedaço de pau

​Ah kah-BAH-sah, ah-RAH-meeh, eeh oohnh peh-DAH-sooh deeh pow

​A gourd, wire, and a piece of a stick/wood

O que é berimbau?

​Ooh keeh eh/ah beeh-reehnh-BAH/OOH

What is a berimbau?

(coro/chorus)​

A cabaça, arame, e um pedaço de pau

​Ah kah-BAH-sah, ah-RAH-meeh, eeh oohnh peh-DAH-sooh deeh pow

​A gourd, wire, and a piece of a stick/wood

Capoeira Song of the Week: Cuidado Menino

You submit the songs. We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

Cuidado Menino

Marê, marê, marê cheia, a marê tá cheia

Cuidado menino pra não se afogar

​Mah-REY, ​mah-REY, ​mah-REY SHEY-ah, ah ​mah-REY tah SHEY-ah

​Kweeh-DAH-dooh meh-NEEHNH-nooh prah nownh seeh ah-foh-GAHRH

The tide, the tide, the high tide, the tide is high

​Be careful little boy so you don't drown yourself

(coro/chorus)​

Marê marê, marê cheia, a marê tá cheia

Cuidado menino pra não se afogar

Mah-REY, ​mah-REY, ​mah-REY SHEY-ah, ah ​mah-REY tah SHEY-ah

​Kweeh-DAH-dooh meh-NEEHNH-nooh prah nownh seeh ah-foh-GAHRH

The tide, the tide, the high tide, the tide is high

​Be careful little boy so you don't drown yourself

Ô meu mestre falou pra ser um bom capoeir

Tem que ter fundamento, molejo, mandinga e sabe vadi

​Oh meh/ooh MEHS-treeh fah-LOH prah sehrh oohnh bohnh kah-pooh-EY-rah

​Tehnh keeh tehrh foohn-dah-MEHN-tooh, mooh-LEH-jooh, mahn-JEEHNH-gah eeh SAH-beeh vah-deeh-AHRH

​Oh my mestre said to be a good capoeira player

You have to have fundamentals, molejo*, mandinga*, and know how to have fun

(coro/chorus)​

Marê marê, marê cheia, a marê tá cheia

uidado menino pra não se afogar

Mah-REY, ​mah-REY, ​mah-REY SHEY-ah, ah ​mah-REY tah SHEY-ah

​Kweeh-DAH-dooh meh-NEEHNH-nooh prah nownh seeh ah-foh-GAHRH

The tide, the tide, the high tide, the tide is high

​Be careful little boy so you don't drown yourself

Ô meu mestre falou pra ser um bom capoeira

Tem que ir a Bahia pedir a benção da Rainha Do Mar

Oh meh/ooh MEHS-treeh fah-LOH prah sehrh oohnh bohnh kah-pooh-EY-rah

​Tehnh keeh eehrh ah bah-EEH-ah peh-JEEHRH ah  BEHNH-sownh dah hah-EEHNH-yah dood mahrh

​Oh my mestre said to be a good capoeira player

​You have to go to Bahia to ask for a big blessing from the Queen of the Sea

(coro/chorus)​

Marê marê, marê cheia, a marê tá cheia

Cuidado menino pra não se afogar

Mah-REY, ​mah-REY, ​mah-REY SHEY-ah, ah ​mah-REY tah SHEY-ah

​Kweeh-DAH-dooh meh-NEEHNH-nooh prah nownh seeh ah-foh-GAHRH

The tide, the tide, the high tide, the tide is high

​Be careful little boy so you don't drown yourself

Capoeira Song of the Week: Capenga Ontem Teve Aqui

You submit the songs. We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

Capenga Ontem Teve Aqui

Capenga ontem teve aqui 

Kah-PEHNG-gah OHN-tehnh TEH-veeh ah-KEEH

Yesterday we had a disabled man here

Capenga ontem teve aqui 

Kah-PEHNG-gah OHN-tehnh TEH-veeh ah-KEEH

Yesterday we had a disabled/lame man here

Deu dois mil réis a papai

Deh/ooh doyz meeh/ooh heyz ah pah-PAYE

He gave two thousand reis (an older form of brazilian currency)  to father

Três mil réis a mamãe

Treyz meeh/ooh heyz ah mah-MAYE

Three thousand reis (an older form of brazilian currency)  to mother

Café e açúcar ao vovó

Kah-FEH eeh ah-SOOH-kahrh ah/ooh voh-VO ("o" as in "pot")

Coffee and sugar to grandpa

Deu dois vintém ao mim

Deh/ooh doyz veehnh-TEHNH ah/ooh meehnh

He gave two thousand vintem (an older form of brazilian currency) to me

Sim senhor, meu camará

Seehnh sehnh-YOHRH meh/ooh kah-mah-RAH

Yes sir my friend

Quando eu entrar, você entra

KWAHN-dooh ehn-TRAHRH voh-SAY EHN-trah

When I go in you go in

Quando eu sair, você sai

KWAHN-dooh sah-EEHRH voh-SAY saye

When I leave you leave

Passar bem, passar mal

Pah-SAHRH behnh pah-SAHRH mah/ooh

Come good come bad

Mas todo mundo é passar, camará​​

Mayez TOH-dooh MOOHN-dooh eh/ah pah-SAHRH, kah-mah-RAH

The whole world will pass, my friend

Capoeira Song of the Week: Quem É Você Que Acaba de Chegar?

You submit the songs. We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

Quem É Você Que Acaba de Chegar?

Quem é você que acaba de chegar?

Kehnh eh/ah voh-SAY keeh ah-KAH-bah deeh sheh-GAHRH

Who' this that just arrived?

Quem é você que acaba de chegar?

Kehnh eh/ah voh-SAY keeh ah-KAH-bah deeh sheh-GAHRH

Who' this that just arrived?

coro

Quem é você que acaba de chegar?

Kehnh eh/ah voh-SAY keeh ah-KAH-bah deeh sheh-GAHRH

Who' this that just arrived?

Quem é você que acaba de chegar?

Kehnh eh/ah voh-SAY keeh ah-KAH-bah deeh sheh-GAHRH

Who' this that just arrived?

Eu sou Besouro Preto

Eh/ooh soh beeh-ZOH-rooh PREH-tooh

I am Besouro Preto

Besouro de Mangangá

Eh/ooh soh beeh-ZOH-rooh PREH-tooh

I am Besouro Preto

Eu vim para esta roda

Eh/ooh veehnh PAH-rah EH-stah HO/AH-dah

I came to this roda

Para ver você jogar

(/chorus)

PAH-rah vehrh VOH-say zhoh-GAHRH

To see you play

(coro/chorus)

Quem é você que acaba de chegar?

Kehnh eh/ah voh-SAY keeh ah-KAH-bah deeh sheh-GAHRH

Who' this that just arrived?

Quem é você que acaba de chegar?

Kehnh eh/ah voh-SAY keeh ah-KAH-bah deeh sheh-GAHRH

Who' this that just arrived?

Capoeira Song of the Week: É da Nossa Cor

You submit the songs. We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

É da Nossa Cor

Aê aê aêêê, Ô le le le le le le le le ô

Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh oh

The Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh le le le le le le le le oh

​(coro/chorus)

Aê aê aêêê, Ô le le le le le le le le ô

Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh oh

The Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh le le le le le le le le oh

Tá no sangue desta raça brasileira...  capoeira

Tah nooh SAHNG-geeh DEHS-tah HAH-sah brah-zeeh-LEY-rah... kah-pooh-EY-rah

It's in the blood of this brazailian race... capoeira

​(coro/chorus)

Ê da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Berimbau

Beeh-reehnh-BOW

Berimbau

​(coro/chorus)

Ê da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Atabaque

Ah-tah-BAH-keeh

Atabaque

​(coro/chorus)

Ê da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Esta roda

EHS-tah HO-dah  (the 'O' here is short like in teapot)

This roda

​(coro/chorus)

Ê da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Aê aê aêêê, Ô le le le le le le le le ô

Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh oh

The Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh le le le le le le le le oh

​(coro/chorus)

Aê aê aêêê, Ô le le le le le le le le ô

Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh oh

The Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh le le le le le le le le oh

Capoeira é cultura brasileira...  capoeira

Kah-pooh-EY-rah eh/ah koohl-TOOH-rah brah-zeeh-LEY-rah... kah-pooh-EY-rah

Capoeira is brazilian culture... capoeira

​(coro/chorus)

Ê da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Seu Bimba  (it can be anyone you want to honor. examples to follow)

Seh/ooh BEEHNH-bah

Your Bimba

​(coro/chorus)

É da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Seu Pastinha

Seh/ooh Pah-STEEHNH-yah

Your Pastinha

​(coro/chorus)

É da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Acordeon

Ah-kohrh-deh-OHN

Acordeon

​(coro/chorus)

É da nossa cor

Eh/ah dah NOH-sah kohrh

It's of our color

Aê aê aêêê, Ô le le le le le le le le ô

Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh oh

The Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh le le le le le le le le oh

​(coro/chorus)

Aê aê aêêê, Ô le le le le le le le le ô

Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh leh oh

The Ah-eh ah-eh ah-eh, Oh le le le le le le le le oh

Capoeira Song fo the Week: Tô Dormindo, Tô Sonhando

You submit the songs. We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

Tô Dormindo, Tô Sonhando

Tô dormindo, tô sonhando

Toh dohrh-MEEHNH-dooh, toh sohnh-YAHN-dooh

I am sleeping, I am dreaming

Tão falando mal de mim

Townh fah-LAHN-dooh mah/ow  deeh meehnh

They are talking badly about me

(coro/chorus)​

Tô dormindo, tô sonhando

Toh dohrh-MEEHNH-dooh, toh sohnh-YAHN-dooh

I am sleeping, I am dreaming

Ô não me deixam sossega

Oh nownh meeh DEY-shahnh soh-SEH-gah​

Oh they don't let me be still

(coro/chorus)​

Tô dormindo, tô sonhando

Toh dohrh-MEEHNH-dooh, toh sohnh-YAHN-dooh

I am sleeping, I am dreaming

Vou benzer meu patuá

Voh behnh-ZEHRH meh/ooh pah-tooh-AH​

​I'll bless my patuá

(coro/chorus)​

Tô dormindo, tô sonhando

Toh dohrh-MEEHNH-dooh, toh sohnh-YAHN-dooh

I am sleeping, I am dreaming

Agora vou acordar

Ah-GOH-rah voh ah-kohrh-DAHRH​

I am going to wake up now

(coro/chorus)​

Tô dormindo, tô sonhando

Toh dohrh-MEEHNH-dooh, toh sohnh-YAHN-dooh

I am sleeping, I am dreaming