The Capoeira music is very important to the play. Not only the obvious function of giving rhytm, it is the roots from Africa that is most significant and particularly strong in the Angola style. In many African cultures music has a religious function that is in connection with a spiritual world, this is also the case with Capoeira music. I don’t have a deeper understanding of Capoeira, if you feel like you want to enlighten me and make some changes to this text just let me know, I am more than happy to improve this text. I have just try to give a rudimentary understanding of the function of Capoeira music on this page, here we go:
The Instruments of Capoeira Music
Here is a list of the instruments commonly used in Capoeira. No real rule for what instruments are needed exists, only that there is at least one: the berimbáu.
Berimbáu Is a one stringed instrument consisting of a bow and a dried shell of a fruit at one end to give resonance. By hitting the string with a stick and regulating the sound with a stone on the string a very distinctive sound is produced. Exists in three pitches, the lowest sounding (the gunga) is lead for all other instruments. It has African origin. Example:
Pandeiro It´s a slightly more sophisticted tambourine of South American origin. Example:
Agogô A wrought iron bell with African origin. Perhaps similar to the US American cowbell but with a more Xylophone like sound. Example:
Atabaque A big drum you hit with your hands, can be replaced by a conga. Atabaques are also instrumental in Samba music. Example:
Reco-reco Is a Brazilian version of the Güiro which is a scraping instrument that can be made of wood or metal. This intrument is also common in many indigenous Indian forms of Brazilian music.
Ok, here we go into what I am not 100% sure about… There are three basic song types: Ladainha – Solo songs that follow certain melodies, starts the roda. Corrido – A rhytmic chanting like song that corresponds with the movements of the players. Quadra – In some parts of Brazil this sometimes subtitutes the ladainha, it has more varying melodies. They can all be of various themes like religion, slavery, Capoeira; Pretty much anything. Click here for some examples of Capoeira music and songs.
