Angola é que tem dendê
This traditional capoeira song is a powerful tribute to Capoeira Angola, its African roots, and its spiritual energy. There is one main chorus to this song:
Angola é que tem dendê
This translates to the following:
It is Angola that has dendê
Where it’s stated to sing the chorus below, this line is sung twice.
Key Terms in the Song
Before diving into the lyrics, it helps to understand a few traditional terms used throughout the song:
Dendê: Palm oil used heavily in Afro-Brazilian cuisine. In Capoeira, it metaphorically means spice, flavor, deep energy, soul, or intensity.
Berra-Boi: A traditional term for a very deep-toned berimbau (specifically a Gunga with a very large gourd) that has a low, rumbling sound.
Mandinga: The trickery, cleverness, and spiritual street-smarts unique to a capoeirista.
Orixás: Deities of Candomblé in Brazil representing the natural elements and ancestral spiritual power.
| Letras | Lyrics |
|---|---|
| Dendê é do dendezeiro | Dendê comes from the palm tree |
| Caju é do cajueiro | Cashew comes from the cashew tree |
| Mandinga é do mandingueiro | Mandinga belongs to the mandingueiro |
| Angola é dos Angoleiros | Angola belongs to the Angoleiros |
| Eu já falei pra você meu mano | I already told you, my brother |
| Angola é que tem dendê | It is Angola that has dendê |
| (Coro) | (Chorus) |
| Dendê é o nosso sangue | Dendê is our blood |
| É sangue dos ancestrais | It is the blood of the ancestors |
| Dendê veio da África | Dendê came from Africa |
| Com a força dos orixás | With the power of the orixás |
| Eu já falei pra você, meu mano | I already told you, my brother |
| Angola é que tem dendê | It is Angola that has dendê |
| (Coro) | (Chorus) |
| Berimbau tem berra boi | The berimbau has the berra boi |
| Tem gunga e tem viola | It has gunga and it has viola |
| Capoeira tem regional | Capoeira has Regional |
| Mas capoeira Mãe | But the mother Capoeira |
| É capoeira angola | Is Capoeira Angola |
| Eu já falei pra você meu mano | I already told you, my brother |
| Angola é que tem dendê | It is Angola that has dendê |
| (Coro) | (Chorus) |
| Tum tum tum bateu na porta | Knock, knock, knock, someone knocked on the door |
| Maria vai ver quem é | Maria go see who it is |
| E se for capoeira | And if it's a capoeirista |
| Chega na ponta do pé | Come in on your tiptoes |
| Bota pra roda Zezé | Put him in the roda, Zezé |
| Emboladinho, emboladinho, emboladinho | Tangled up, all rolled up together |
| Emboladinho, emboladinho, emboladinho | Tangled up, all rolled up together |
| (Repeat the last 2 lines) | (Repeat the last 2 lines) |
Interested in learning more about capoeira? Check out our other blog posts here.
