Themes
What the songs sing about.
Bahia
The birthplace of capoeira — its towns, ports and people.
Everyday Life
Houses, work, food, festivals and the small things of daily life.
Faith & the Sacred
Saints, orixás, Aruanda and the sacred side of the roda.
Legends & Outlaws
Famous valentões, cangaceiros and legendary capoeiristas.
Love & Women
Sweethearts, wives, mothers and longing.
Malandragem
Cunning, trickery, street smarts and the art of deceiving your opponent.
Nature & Animals
Birds, snakes, rivers and the natural world as metaphor for the game.
Praise & Gratitude
Songs that praise God, the mestres, the ancestors and capoeira itself.
Saudade & Longing
Homesickness and longing for a person or place far away.
Slavery & Resistance
Memories of slavery, quilombos and the struggle for freedom.
The Bateria
Songs about the instruments of the roda — berimbau, pandeiro, atabaque, agogô and reco-reco.
The Game
Songs about the jogo itself — calling people in, commenting on the play, encouraging a beautiful game.
The Sea & Sailors
Sailors, fishermen, boats, the ocean and Iemanjá.
War & Soldiers
Battles, soldiers and wars Brazilians were sent to fight.