Capoeira Mandinga Shanghai

Mestre Suassuna playing the berimbau
Magnificent display of how the berimbau is such a cool musical instrument.

1. Introduction

Originally brought to Brazil in the 1500′s by Bantu slaves from Africa and used to accompany the famous dance called capoeira (a sort of a martial art were two fighters are training while berimbau, pandeiro, atabaque and agogo bells play the rhythm).

The berimbau was also a means of communication used by slaves to prevent being understood by their masters and is considered a sacred instrument.

It is consists of… (Read more)

Shanghai tambem tem
Tem Capoeira
E o grupo qual e
E Capoeira Mandinga (Solo sings then chorus repeats)

Capoeira globalizada
Nasceu como uma flor
No meio da China
E Capoeira de valor

Ohhhhh no parque Zhong-shang
Nao esquece de mandar
Um abraco pro Guerreiro
E o povo que esta la

Shanghai tambem tem
Entra pra jogar
Toca, canta e bate palma
Pra a roda animar

Written by Contra Mestre Batatinha

Capoeira Song Compendium Version 1.0 International (PDF, 400 Kb)
A compendium of the most widely sung Capoeira songs with their English translations. Plus a guide on Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation, a capoeira glossary, an article about religion and its connection to Capoeira and other articles about Capaoeira songs.

Capoeira Lyrics: Cantigas, Ladainhas, Maculelê (PDF, 1 Mb)
Popular Capoeira’s songs lyrics, 60 pages without translation.

Capoeira’s Songs Lyrics Pack (.doc in zip-archive, 187 kb)
8 documents with popular songs lyrics.

Since people ask me about stretching frequently, I figure I should write something about it here. I’ll break stretching in to two categories: injury prevention and flexibility. I encourage everyone to stretch for injury prevention. Flexibility is for those who are a little more masochistic.

Whether you are stretching for flexibility or health, there are a few main elements to keep in mind. The most important of which is self-awareness. Self-awareness does not just mean knowing whether something hurts; it is much more holistic. While stretching, remember how tired you are, how much you have exercised, what exercises you did, etc. These, as well as other factors, should affect the way you stretch. Self-awareness also means that you should understand what you body is telling you. The most important factor is pain, which unfortunately is a necessary part of stretching. It is important to understand the difference between good pain and bad pain. For example, stretching an injured muscle will feel different from stretching a healthy muscle. Stretching a healthy muscle and “over-stretching” a healthy muscle feel different too. I can not tell you the difference in feeling, so it is up to you to develop this sense. Read the rest of this entry »