E Jogo Praticado na Terra

This song generally is a celebration of capoeira. It refers to capoeira as this art and fight that can damage. It honors Mestre Bimba, the creator of Capoeira Regional, and it refers to the birth of modern capoeira coming from Bahia.

There is one main chorus to this song:

É jogo praticado na terra de São Salvador

This translates to the following:

It’s a game practiced in the land of São Salvador.

São Salvador is referring to Salvador, Bahia. Originally, this place was founded as São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (Holy Savior of the Bay of All Saints). It was the first capital of Brasil, and it’s also the birthplace of Capoeira Regional and Capoeira Angola.

For the song below, between each verse, the chorus is sung. Typically, we sing the chorus twice, with the lead singer signaling for that repetition of the chorus by singing “capoeira”.

Letras	English Translation
Oi, meu mano	Hey, my brother
O que foi que tu viu lá?	What did you see over there?
Eu vi capoeira matando	I saw Capoeira striking
Também vi Maculelê	I also saw Maculelê
Capoeira	Capoeira
Sou discípulo que aprende	I am a disciple who learns
Sou mestre que dá lição	I am a master who gives lessons
Na roda de capoeira	In the Capoeira circle
Nunca dei um golpe em vão	I’ve never struck a blow in vain
Capoeira	Capoeira
Manuel dos Reis Machado	Manuel dos Reis Machado
Ele é fenomenal	He is phenomenal
Ele é o Mestre Bimba	He is Mestre Bimba
O criador do Regional	The creator of Regional
Capoeira	Capoeira
Capoeira é luta nossa	Capoeira is our fight
Da era colonial	From the colonial era
E nasci foi na Bahia	And it was born in Bahia
Angola e Regional	Angola and Regional
Capoeira	Capoeira
Capoeira é uma arte	Capoeira is an art
Capoeira é uma luta	Capoeira is a fight
Capoeira é um balé	Capoeira is a ballet
Mais lindo da minha Bahia	The most beautiful of my Bahia
Capoeira	Capoeira

Interested in learning more about capoeira? Check out our other blog posts here.