Sing sing, meu camara, sing!

It has been three good days since the last training, and you find yourself humming some infectious capoeira songs you've heard in the roda while studying. You vaguely know the words, so they come out as a confusing combination of Portuguese words, like "berimbau" and "eu vou", but you really can't help yourself.

Hey, that's alright, it happens to even the more experienced capoeiristas! It can be difficult to remember ALL the new songs and lyrics, but hopefully with time and practise you will be able to mouth them all as you go about singing in the roda. We apologise that we cannot teach every single song here on the blog or during training, but part of the fun is also in discovering them for yourself from youtube or tracking down and demanding a senior to teach you the lyrics before/after class (to coerce with sweaty after-training t-shirt..!).

Singing in capoeira as we have stressed is extremely important. Music provides the rhythm of the game, but singing extends this in that it invokes the mood of the game. It depends on the songs you choose and the way you sing them.

There is something enchanting about the sound of unified voices of people (what's more, capoeiristas who have similar passion for capoeira as you!) singing and clapping as though to motivate the two players in the middle. It is vital for the whole circle because you feel a particular connection when you sing and clap together with everyone, infusing sometimes some impromptu sounds to make the music and spirit merrier. It is as though your singing encourages the capoeira players in the circle to play and to play beautifully.

That is why it is so very necessary that everyone sings loudly and energetically because it has an affect on the players and the closeness of the grupo. It makes the roda lively, and it really influences how everyone feels about each other and about Capoeira as a whole, even after the roda has long ended.

Of course there is so much more to dwell upon under this aspect of capoeira, such as the philosophy of the songs itself, but we shall leave that for another post! For now, I hope everyone will start singing the songs more and with much gusto so that we can better enjoy the roda!

Keeping that in mind, does everyone remember the three songs we practised on Thursday, i.e. "Pisao Cabloco", "Amare 'ta Cheia", and "Eu Vim Pra Vadiar"? Take a look at the lyrics, meanings and videos in the next post. Hopefully we will get to hear some of the juniors lead the singing next week! ;)


Axe!
Rosinha (getting used to and liking blogging here)