Just a few things to pay attention to in the first combination:

1. When I am swinging the left leg around I make sure I rotate it all the way until my bum is facing the partner. (this enables me to not end up facing a different direction).

“bum facing partner”

2. When I go into the queda de rins position, my body and my legs are in an L-shape, this enables me to sweep the legs over a longer range of motion. Otherwise, if I was to begin with my body and my legs straight, All the rotation would have to come from spinning on the palm (which is a lot harder and a different movement).

“L-shape”

3. When my legs are straight with my body, I bend the left leg in and push up off of the left hand. The closer that left foot lands near my hand the easier it is to push out. If I try to rotate my legs past the straight body/leg position, and curve my legs around, I will probably hyperflex my wrist which will be bad and hurt my wrist a lot.
Splitting the legs in the air adds to the illusion and the effect of the movement, the more I can split and have straight legs the better it looks.

“push out position”

4. I do not actually rotate the wrist until I have landed my feet. When I push up and out of the position I rotate my wrist to help take pressure off of it, but whilst in the movement it is not really necessary.

“hand close to knee, wrist rotated”

THE SECOND COMBINATION- Observations:

1. Once I have completed the first queda de rins I push off my right hand and bring it in towards my body. This helps me to roll onto the other side (my right queda).

“Push off the right hand position”

“right hand landed in the right position”

2. Once I am in the right queda position I pay special attention to my right leg. I make sure that it reaches in front of me and around as much as possible. This is really important, and the key for me to be able to push up into my ponte (backbend) whilst still being able to watch and face my partner.

“look how far around I have put my right leg…”

3. Once I am in the ponte, I bring that left hand in towards my body (repositioning the hand) and lower myself onto that queda. From their I can do 2 things. I can choose to lift the left leg and push and jump around with the right, or I can push around off of both legs at the same time. Either way I need to bring that left leg into a crouching position, and land that left foot near my left hand.

If anyone has any questions/queries and or comments please don’t hesitate to ask!

Chan.

Stumble It!

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!