Song types
From the opening ladainha to the corridos that drive the game.
Ladainha
A long solo sung at the start of the roda (mainly in Angola), opening with "Iê!". Players crouch at the foot of the berimbau and listen — no one plays during the ladainha.
Louvação
Call-and-response praise that follows the ladainha — "Iê viva meu Deus… camará". Gives thanks to God, the mestres and the capoeira itself. In the Angola tradition this is often called the chula or canto de entrada.
Corrido
The heart of the roda — a short call-and-response song. The lead sings the solo, everyone answers with the coro, while the game is played.
Chula
A name with different meanings between lineages — in many Angola rodas it is the louvação itself; elsewhere a short solo verse sung to open the roda or change its energy. Use it for songs your group calls chulas.
Quadra
A short solo verse, often four lines, typical of Capoeira Regional, sung to open a roda before the corridos begin.
Samba de Roda
Songs from the Bahian samba de roda, often sung after the capoeira roda closes.
Maculelê
Songs for the maculelê stick dance from Santo Amaro, Bahia.
Puxada de Rede
Songs of the fishermen pulling in the net — performed as a dramatised dance.