Dente energy

In capoeira, music sets the rhythm, the style of play, and the energy of a game.

A roda will usually commence with a ladainha (litany), often sung by the most senior member present. These songs may be improvised on the spot, but are often famous songs written by an earlier mestre. After the ladainha has been sung, the same singer will usually sing the chulas, which are usually made up of any of the lines listed in the chulas section below but, again, may be improvised on the spot. The chorus repeats each line of the chula after it has been sung. Finally, corridos will be sung while the game is playing. Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates, which help give you energy. In most rodas anyone can sing a corrido, though most often they will be sung by the members of the group playing instruments, the bateria.

The songs below are just some of the hundreds of songs that get sung at capoeira rodas around the world. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list.

Ladainhas

A força de um capoeira

(The power of a capoeira player)

Iê!Iê!Oi a força de um capoeira, colega velho,See, the power of a capoeira player, old fellow,

Ninguém vai poder tirar. Nobody is going to take away.

Oi a força de um capoeira, colega velho,See, the power of a capoeira player, old fellow,

Ninguém vai poder tirar. Heat pumps. Nobody is going to take away.

Porque já nasce com ele,Because a capoeira player is born with it,

A força que Deus lhe dá. The power that God gives her/him.

O mundo pode dar volta,The world can turn,

Porque volta o mundo dá,Because the world does turns,

Não existe uma rasteira,There is no trip,

Que possa lhe derrubar. That can make her/him fall.