Capoeira Song of the Week: Capoeira de São Salvador

You submit the songs.  We show you the lyrics, translation, and give some phonetic spelling to help your pronunciation.

The format works like this:

The lyrics in Portuguese are in bold

The phonetic spelling for pronunciation is in italics with the STRESSED SYLLABLES IN ALL CAPITALS with syllables se-pa-ra-ted by dash-es

The English translation is in regular text

A recent classic.  Thanks Risos!

Capoeira de São Salvador

Ô meu mano.

Oh mehoo MAH-no

Oh my brother.

O que foi que tu viu lá

ooh keeh foy keeh tooh veeoo lah

What did you see there?

Eu vi capoeira matando

Ehoo vee kah-pooh-EY-rah mah-TAHN-dooh

I saw great capoeira 

Também vi maculelê

tahm-BEHNH vee mah-koo-lay-LAY

I also saw maculelê

Capoeira!

kah-pooh-EY-rah

Capoeira!

É jogo praticado na terra de São Salvador (coro/chorus)

E'ah ZHOH-gooh prah-chee-KAH-dooh nah TEH-hah dee sownh sahoo-vah-DORH

It's game played in the land of San Salvador

Capoeira!

kah-pooh-EY-rah

Capoeira!

É jogo praticado na terra de São Salvador (coro/chorus)

E'ah ZHOH-gooh prah-chee-KAH-dooh nah TEH-hah dee sownh sahoo-vah-DORH

It's game played in the land of São Salvador

Mas sou discípulo que aprendo

mayez soh deeh-SEEH-plooh keeh ah-PREHN-dooh

But I am a disciple I learn

E mestre que dá lição

Eeh MEHS-tree keeh dah leeh-SOWNH

And teacher who gives lessons

Na roda de capoeira

Nah HOH-dah deeh kah-pooh-EY-rah

In capoeira roda

Nunca dei meu golpe em vão - Capoeira!

NOON-kah dey mehoo GOHOO-peeh enh vownh - kah-pooh-EY-rah

I never gave my stroke in vain - Capoeira!

É Manuel dos Reis Machado

E'ah mahn-OOEHOO doohs heys mah-SHAH-dooh

It Manuel dos Reis Machado

Ele é fenomenal

IH-leeh e'ah feh-noh-meh-NOWOO

He is phenomenal

Ele é o Mestre Bimba

IH-leeh e'ah ooh MEHS-treeh BEEM-bah

He is the Master Bimba

Criador da Regional - Capoeira!

Kreeh-ah-DORH dah heh-zheeh-oh-NAWOO - kah-pooh-EY-rah

Creator of the Regional - Capoeira!

Capoeira é luta nossa

Kah-pooh-EY-rah e'ah LOOH-tah NOHS-sah

Capoeira is our fight

Da era colonial

dah EH-rah koh-loh-neeh-OWOO

The colonial era

E nasceu foi na Bahia

Eeh nah-SEHOO foy nah bah-EEH-ah

And was born in Bahia

Angola e Regional - Capoeira!

Ahn-GOH-lah eeh heh-zheeh-oh-NOWOO - kah-pooh-EY-rah

Regional and Angola - Capoeira!

No dia que eu amanheço

nooh DEEH-ah keeh ehoo ah-mahnh-YEH-sooh

On the day I awoke

Danado da minha vida

dah-NAH-dooh dah MEEHNH-yah VEEH-dah

Damned in my life

Planto cana descascada

PLAHN-tooh KAH-nah dehs-kahs-KAH-dah

I plant peeled sugarcane

Com seis dias está nascida - Capoeira!

Konh seyz DEEH-as ehs-TAH nah-SEEH-dah - kah-pooh-EY-rah

In six days it's sprouted - Capoeira!