CAN ANYONE BECOME MUSICAL?

But is everyone born to sway? is music something that is within everyones grasp? I believe so. For me, it is like being in high school again. The subjects I tended to like and be good at, were not because of the subject itself, rather it was how well I responded to the teacher that taught it. The better I fell in tune with the teacher, the more I liked the subject, the more I wanted to work at it, and the easier it was to learn. I believe music is very much the same. If you can find a teacher that can guide you through your own mind, anything is possible.

There are so many ways people connect; it is a teachers job to find those connections and use them to empower and encourage the student to believe they can do it, as well as being able to do it.

CHECK OUT THE TUTORIAL!

Within the small tutorial below, is a few variations on the instruments of capoeira. They are basic, and with each instruments three variations are provided from easiest to more difficult. I will endeavor to create more to help you find that inner rhythm, but for now this should help you get going. I am sorry if it is too easy/hard for some people to pick up, I am just trying to reach a broader scope of people, with what I have. I do not have a recording studio, nor a mic, so the sound is pretty deadpan, but hopefully I will be able to afford better equipment in the future. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please let me know!

axe!

Chan Griffin.

Written by Sarah Bartch

Some of the capoeira songs that we sing make references to certain catholic saints. Songs with religious references are often quite obscure and it can be very hard to try to understand the depths of the words especially without any cultural background knowledge. Also, often the meanings are purposely veiled in the simplicity of the song. I don’t pretend to offer you any interpretations, that is up to the singer and the listener, but here is a tiny summary about some of the Saints. There are many songs, these are just a few.

Ai ai ai ai
Sao Bento me chama
Ai ai ai ai
Sao Bento me quer
Ai ai ai ai
Sao Bento me leva
Ai ai ai ai
Sao Bento me prende

Ai ai ai ai
Saint Benedict is calling me
Saint Benedict wants me
Saint Benedict takes me
Saint Benedict holds me

Sao Bento is the name given to some of the toques; Sao Bento grande and Sao Bento pequeno. Sao Bento was also the saint to be prayed to for protection from snakes. Legend has it that Saint Benedict was offered a cup of poison by some monks and as he blessed the cup, it shattered and so he could not be poisoned.

O Santa Barbara que relampue
E Relampue que relampua

Saint Barbara brings lightning.

Saint Barbara’s African religious counterpart was Iansa, Orixa (spirit) of wind and storm and also queen of the souls of the dead. The African people would sing and prey to Iansa to send lightning down to fertilise the land. She was impulsive and loved to dance. Iansa was also known to change shape into different animal forms.

Vai voce, vai voce?
Dona Maria como vai voce?
Vai voce, vai voce?
Dona Maria como vai voce?
Joga bonito que eu quero aprender.
Dona Maria como vai voce?
Mas como passou, como vai voce?
Dona Maria como vai voce

How are you, how are you?
Lady Maria how are you?
Play beautifully because I want to learn.
Who is that passing by?

Donna Maria translates to Lady Mary. One of the interpretations of this song may be refering to Saint Maria, mother of god. Santa Maria was parallelled with Yamanya who was the African-Brazilian spirit of the ocean and rivers and moon. Yamanya is caring, nurturing and merciful but also, like the sea, deep and unknown. She is ruler of riches but also of witches, secrets, vanity and jealousy. Some people believe that the song “sai sai catarina” also refers to Yamanya of the sea. Santa Maria is also the name of one of the toques of Mestre Bimba.

Apanha laranja no chao tico tico

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DOM, TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DIM
TICH TICH DIM DIM DIM DIM, TICH TICH DIM DIM DIM DOM

This rhythm can be vastly varied and is very similar to SANTA MARIA in the regional section.
However this is more of an angola toque, and is usually played in street rodas when the capoeiras are busking for money.

When they busk they collect money and then put the money either inside a bandana or just have the money in the middle of the roda. They then battle it out to try and get the money, but can only pick it up with their mouth.

they usually sing this song too:
Apanha laranja no chao tico tico
Se meu amor for si embora eu nao fico
Apanha com a mao ou com pe ou com bico

grab the orange from the ground tico tico (tico is the sound of the berimbau)
if my love went away I will not stay.
Grab it with your hand or your foot or your mouth

here is a video that loosely represents the game courtesy of bantus capoeira, belo horizonte brazil.

BARRAVENTO

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
DOM DOM NNN

(The NNN is when the pedra or dobrao is pressed against the wire but the vaqueta itself does not hit, it is in the act of pressing the dobrao on the wire that makes a note).

Barravento is the state just before a candomble follower will be taken over by a trance. It is the inbetween state.
The rhythm is not a traditional rhythm, I have only heard one mestre ever play it before, everyone else I have asked had never heard of it being played on the berimbau before.
The guy who introduced this rhythm to me played it a lot faster and better, but this will have to suffice for now until I can get better myself at this rhythm.

THE TOQUE DE SAO BENTO GRANDE DE ANGOLA

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH, DIM, DOM, DOM

The rhythm of sao bento grande is the most commonly used toque in the world. It is used in most contemporary rodas and also played on the viola in traditional angola rodas.
It is NOT a traditional regional rhythm, and is not within the seven toques of regional. It is a different rhythm with the same name.

Just a few things to note:
1. When using this rhythm in the angola roda, it is usually mixed with countless variations, this is the base of the rhythm, but it is moreso used to be able to understand the timing that is necessary with the other rhythms. Once you become proficient, you will hardly even play this rhythm with this structure, because of all the variations that are added in.
2. Remember to make the notes clear and precise, don’t forget to watch the timing of when the gourd is on and off the stomach.
3. Make sure you listen to the other berimbaus, remember the gunga is the soul of the orchestra, and is always the berimbau all other instruments should answer to. Don’t get carried away.

TOQUE DE SAO BENTO PEQUENO

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH, DIM, DOM, SHAKE

This is a rhythm that is usually played as an accomplice to the other three berimbaus in the angola orchestra. It is usually played on the medio berimbau and used to compliment the sounds. It helps maintain the rhythm but also plays with some variations.

Just a few things to note:
1. Remember, the tich tich on any of the rhythms are meant to be soft sounds, they are also not meant to reverberate. The tich sound is often the hardest note to master on the berimbau, so you must practice it!
2. Don’t forget the shake of the caxixi, it is a note in itself.
3. Don’t forget to make the notes crisp, make them all very clear of which note is being played, be precise of when you put the pedra or dobrao on and off of the berimbau, the timing of this is everything.
4. Remember to follow when you should put the gourd on and off the stomach.

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH, DOM, DIM, SHAKE

The ‘toque de angola’ is one of the most common played toques. Just a couple of things to note:
1. when you have your dobrao or pedra pressed on the arame make sure that when you take it off you simultaneously hit the bottom note with the vaqueta, otherwise you may make an extra note. Similarly enough, when you are going from the low to high note, you must only press the dobrao or pedra on the wire when you are about to hit the top note, not a moment before.

2. Remember the caxixi, the shake is important to keep the rhythm.

3. Make sure you watch the timing of when to place the gourd on and off of your stomach.

Stumble It!

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM
TICH DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM DOM DOM DOM DOM NNN DOM NNN DOM

just remember the moving on and off of the gourd from the stomach is very important. It is crucial that you try and get the timing of this otherwise it will not sound the same.

In capoeira Regional, they traditionally used this rhythm to slow down the capoeira game for practice purposes. This game was almost like a pseudo-capoeira angola game.

There are a few ways I have been shown how to play this rhythm, however the one on this video is what I was shown in the Academy of Mestre Bimba.

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH DOM DIM SHAKE

VERBAL ANNOTATION:
TICH TICH DOM DOM DIM DOM DOM TICH TICH DIM
TICH TICH DOM DOM DOM DIM DOM DIM DOM TICH TICH DIM