Dance

Capoeira

Roda de CapoeiraSalvador da Bahia · Brazil

Afro-Brazilian circle of fight, dance, acrobatics, and call-and-response song governed by the single-string berimbau bow.

Photo: Folkroom Archive · CC BY-SA 4.0+ Add licensed photo →

The tradition & historical record

1 min read · 15 cited sources

Forged by enslaved Africans in the quilombos and port districts of Bahia and Pernambuco, the roda de capoeira is a living circle where two players exchange sweeps, inversions, and feints around the swaying ginga step. ^[1]

The bateria of three berimbaus—gunga, médio, and viola—alongside pandeiro, atabaque, and agogô sets the toque that dictates whether play is slow and strategic (Angola) or rapid and upright (Regional). ^[2]

Transmission & Custody

Documented custodians and practitioner lineages: Mestres Pastinha & Bimba Lineages · Bahia Rodas.

Sources on Record

[1]Capoeira — Folkroom Primary Archive Dossier (Brazil) · Representative List

Sourced or Silent · Open Archival Questions

What is still undocumented in this room

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Active Practitioner Census

Current guild- or locality-level count of active masters and apprentices awaits a cited survey.

Field Audio & Notation

CC-licensed performance audio or rhythmic notation is not yet linked to this record.

Vernacular Bibliography

Regional-language monographs and local academy catalogues remain open for citation.

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