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What is Capoeira?

Have you ever seen anything comparable?
Capoeira is truly unique - a blend of martial arts, acrobatics, dance, and music. Its fascinating history and captivating movements make it a standout among martial disciplines.

Some history

Capoeira is an ancient martial game that dates back roughly 300–400 years and has evolved into a martial art. Across Brazil, millions of capoeiristas practice this art in groups and schools, making it one of the country’s national sports. Its elegance and spectacular techniques have attracted fans worldwide. Known for its openness and inclusivity, Capoeira has spread far beyond Brazil’s borders.

Capoeira originated on Brazil’s colonial sugar plantations, with roots tracing back to the African slaves brought to the region. What began as public displays of strength, courage, and initiation rituals among young men eventually transformed into a form of resistance against oppression. Slaves disguised their martial training as dance, intertwining combat techniques with music and movement—a connection that remains inseparable to this day.

The three main currents in Capoeira

You can find three large types of Capoeira: Angola, Regional and the socalled Contemporânea (contemporary Capoeira).

Angola

Capoeira Angola

Angola is the traditional form of Capoeira, established by Mestre Pastinha (Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, born April 5, 1889, in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil; died November 13, 1981). Its movements are often slow, close to the ground, and seemingly deceptive, hiding sudden, rapid attacks. Mestre Pastinha is celebrated as Capoeira’s greatest philosopher.

Capoeira-Regional

Capoeira Regional

Regional was developed by the legendary Mestre Bimba (Manuel dos Reis Machado, born November 23, 1899, in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil; died February 5, 1974, in Goiânia). This style emphasises the martial aspects, with upright stances, powerful kicks, and fast movements. Mestre Bimba brought Capoeira into the public eye and established its first official school.

Contemporanea

Capoeira Contemporânea

Contemporânea emerged through collective innovation, with the Senzala group playing a key role. Founded in 1970 in Rio de Janeiro by 17 mestres, this style emphasises acrobatics and dynamic, high-energy kicks.

Common Elements

All styles are performed in a circle, or roda, where two capoeiristas engage at a time, accompanied by live Capoeira music. The roda follows specific rituals and rules. Capoeira can be practiced indoors in schools, gyms, or community centers - or outdoors in parks, public spaces, or even on the beach.

Roda
Roda2


Capoeira Music

The Berimbau

All styles are performed in a circle, or roda, where two capoeiristas engage at a time, accompanied by live Capoeira music. The roda follows specific rituals and rules. Capoeira can be practiced indoors in schools, gyms, or community centers—or outdoors in parks, public spaces, or even on the beach.

  • Gunga: the largest and lowest-pitched.
  • Médio: the mid-sized and mid-pitched.
  • Viola: the smallest and highest-pitched.

The berimbau’s components include the verga (wooden stick), arame (wire), cabaça (gourd resonator), caxixi (small shaker), dobrão (coin), and baqueta (stick). Proper handling and tuning are essential—ask your mestre for guidance.

Special features:
Wedded sets, or berimbaus casados, are hand-picked combinations of perfectly matched parts. The selection process is meticulous, making these unique instruments highly valued.

The Pandeiro

Pandeiro Extra Light 10'' Hide head
Contemporânea
Pandeiro Extra Light 10'' Hide head
Extra Light 10'' Pandeiro with brass jinglesOne of Contemporanea´s top class pandeiros!Like all super-light pandeiros the tension hoop is made of flat material. Whenever you see a flatrim pandeiro, the head is wrapped around a a piece of wire instead of being pressed an a ring. Naturally this saves weight! The 5 pairs of jingles are made of brass. A further characteristic of this instrument is its flat wood frame which is especially suitable for percussionists with smaller hands simply because it it easier to hold. If you have big hands you will probably find it more comfortable to hold a pandeiro with a wider frame.Light pandeiros are ideal for playing the Marcos Suzano technique!Also beginners will enjoy learning with a light pandeiro. The strength to hold a pandeiro in its playing position still needs to be developed and heavy instruments are often considered frustrating in an early stage of learning.Beautiful sound and classic look - an absolute blast!Have more fun playing - go superlight!

€187.00*
Details
Pandeiro 10'' Hide head
Izzo
Pandeiro 10'' Hide head
Pandeiro 10'' - wood frame with hide head - IzzoAre you new to the pandeiro or Capoeira scene and looking for a versatile, affordable pandeiro that meets proper quality requirements without ripping a hole in your wallet? Izzo has once again managed to design an instrument that fulfils all these criteria, is musically up to the task and offers really good value for money. The jingles sound tight and clean, Izzo's skins are medium thick with lovely basses. Solid design, not overly heavy and convincing details. Great pandeiro for beginners, also very suitable for capoeiristas, sambistas, percussionists or as a schooling instrument. A real allrounder among the pandeiros in the lower price range: versatile, authentic with solid sound characteristics at a fair price.

€78.00*
Details
Pandeiro 10'' Hide head
Gope
Pandeiro 10'' Hide head
10'' pandeiro with wood frame and hide headBack to the roots - simple construction and solid sound for sessions! Suitable for travels, Capoeira and freestylers or as an affordable option for beginners! The construction is kept simple and sympathetic, the sound pleasantly puristic. The jingles are made of steel sheet and have no interleafs. The sound is raw and well composed! The hardware is epoxy coated.

€59.00*
Details
Pandeiro reciclado 10'' paper skin
Vagner Oliveira
Pandeiro reciclado 10'' paper skin
Handmade pandeiro made from 100% recycled materials - with paper head - vegan!A vegan pandeiro completely made of recycled materials in hand-made quality? Yup, you read that right! The frame is made of upcycled wood that was already destined for being discarded. The jingles are made of old metal components like beer caps and old can bases, the hardware of refurbished scrap metal parts. And the main feature: a head entirely made of recycled paper. The sound is really good, has nice, full mids, a pleasant attack and responds easily. The pandeiro is also in our absolute lightweight category. The jingles are particularly interesting: they have something delicate and rustic at the same time about them, and in their own way go with all Brazilian styles. With a good amount of street character, the pandeiro fulfils the somewhat rawer sound requirement sought for in Capoeira, for example, but at the same time the interleaves made from cans of dry milk add an unexpected lightness that will allow the pandeiro to sound-sparkle at any Choro session. All materials are, of course, thoroughly cleaned and tested before going into production. Like any other handmade pandeiro, the vegan paper pandeiro brings its own distinct sound personality, depending on the availability of the materials. Manufacturer Vagner Oliveira is one of our long-time suppliers of exquisite handmade pandeiros with high-quality sound characteristics. In his demo video you can hear the lower pitches as well as the ease with which the pandeiro accepts and reproduces beautiful tones very well.frame made of upcycled woodhardware made from upcycled scrap metaljingles and interleaves made of recycled scrap metal componentshead made from recycled paperbassy soundsvegan friendlyUser information:The pandeiro is not suitable for high tunings! Although the paper skin is not overly delicate, it is generally more susceptible to tearing than a natural hide due to its nature. We therefore recommend proceeding slowly and carefully during the tuning, especially when tuning for the first time, and possibly ordering a replacement skin with the instrument. For torn paper skins, no warranty can be provided, as the appropriate use is not traceable. 

€129.00*
Details
Pandeiro pine 10''
Izzo
Pandeiro pine 10''
10'' pine wood pandeiro with natural skin Solid hide head pandeiro with simple wooden frame made of pine and goat skin head for Samba, Capoeira, Samba de Mesa etc. Chrome sheet jingles sound bright, light and a little bit rustic. Versatile and inexpensive hide head pandeiro, ideal first instrument for beginners, as a travel instrument for sambistas or Capoeira pandeiro for your roda de bamba.

€75.00*
Details
Pandeiro 08'' Hide head
Contemp. Light
Pandeiro 08'' Hide head
Handy and light 8'' goat skin head pandeiro - 4 jingle setsA low-priced and nice and light travel pandeiro with a decent sound! 8'' pandeiros have the ideal size for travelling or for people with small hands. Or if you want to take a compact instrument in little luggage on your holidays. Or for Capoeira. Or for kids. Actually, there is absolutely nothing we could think about which is against having a pandeiro that fits in every handbag! It is also suitable for pandeiro beginners, it is light, sturdy and loves being played on beach or by a campfire!

€87.00*

The pandeiro, resembling a tambourine, is a versatile hand drum with jingles arranged to produce a distinct sound. Originating in the Arab world, it adapted to Brazilian culture and features prominently in Capoeira rodas, usually with two pandeiros in the ensemble.

The Atabaque

Atabaque Lê 90cm
Tiao do Atabaque
Atabaque Lê 90cm
Handmade atabaque 90 cm - Lê (small size)The Atabaque is the traditional Brazilian handdrum. Its home is in the Candomblé and it usually is played in a set of 3 - Lê , Rumpi and Rum. But it is also found in Capoeira and Samba de Roda, where it gives the rhythms its soulful sounds.In the ritual drumset of 3, this Atabaque is the Lê, the smallest size drum. Our atabaques are manufactured in one of the most known ateliers of Rio de Janeiro, handmade one by one. The art of building them has been passed on over many years. A solid shell and well selected skins in the right thickness are what make the atabaques sound in their typical warm and open way.The instrument comes with a simple iron stand.Dimensions:Instrument height without stand: approx. 90cmInstrument height with stand: approx. 110cmDiameter of head: approx. 9,5'' Due to all instruments of this series being artisanally manufactured, some small deviations may occur.  

€347.00*
Atabaque Rumpi 100cm
Tiao do Atabaque
Atabaque Rumpi 100cm
Handmade atabaque 100 cm - Rumpi (medium size)The Atabaque is the traditional Brazilian hand drum. Its home is in the Candomblé and it usually is played in a set of 3 - Lê , Rumpi and Rum. But it is also found in Capoeira and Samba de Roda, where it gives the rhythms its soulful sounds.In the ritual drumset of 3, this Atabaque is the Rumpi, the middle size drum. Our atabaques are manufactured in one of the most known ateliers of Rio de Janeiro, handmade one by one. The art of building them has been passed on over many years. A solid shell and well selected skins in the right thickness are what make the atabaques sound in their typical warm and open way.The instrument comes with a simple iron stand. Dimensions:Instrument height without stand: approx. 100cmInstrument height with stand: approx. 112cmDiameter of head: approx. 9,5''  Due to all instruments of this series being artisanally manufactured, some small deviations may occur.

€382.00*
Atabaque Capoeira 75cm
Mestre Negao
Atabaque Capoeira 75cm
Traditional atabaque de Capoeira 75 cm with rope tuning   Beautiful, hand worked unique pieces made of solid wood planks and sisal ropes. Atabaques are Brazilian hand drums with a rich tradition and African roots. In Brazil atabques are played in Capoeira and ritual Candomblê music. The rope tuning system is especially popular amongst capoeiristas. You can tune the drum by knocking in or loosening the wooden wedges held by a metal hoop. The body is built in traditional barrel style and is boardered by several iron hoops on different levels.   The atabaques are made one by one, very nice quality and solid artinsan work by Mestre Negão who manufactures them in his small workshop in São Paulo. Mestre Negão is Capoeirista and instrument builder making exceptional skills. In no more than a small room of his house he creates a lovely selection of beautiful instruments. The atabaques have hand picked, partly shaven skins, solid bodies and a wooden stand with rubber edge that goes with the drum. Dimensions:Instrument height without stand: approx. 75cmInstrument height with stand: approx. 94cmDiameter of head: approx. 9,5'' Due to all instruments of this series being artisanally manufactured, some small deviations may occur.  

€489.99*
Skin for atabaque, 49cm unmounted
Tiao do Atabaque
Skin for atabaque, 49cm unmounted
Skin for atabaque, diameter approx. 50cm - unmounted (without ring), thickness approx. 0.6 mm

€33.32*
Atabaque Capoeira 90cm
Mestre Negao
Atabaque Capoeira 90cm
Traditional atabaque de Capoeira 90cm with rope tuning   Beautiful, hand worked unique pieces made of solid wood planks and sisal ropes. Atabaques are Brazilian hand drums with a rich tradition and African roots. In Brazil atabques are played in Capoeira and ritual Candomblê music. The rope tuning system is especially popular amongst capoeiristas. You can tune the drum by knocking in or loosening the wooden wedges held by a metal hoop with a wood or rubber hammer. The body is built in traditional barrel style and is boardered by several iron hoops on different levels.   The atabaques are made one by one, very nice quality and solid artinsan work by Mestre Negão who manufactures them in his small workshop in São Paulo. Mestre Negão is Capoeirista and instrument builder making exceptional skills. In no more than a small room of his house he creates a lovely selection of beautiful instruments. The atabaques have hand picked, partly shaven skins, solid bodies and a wooden stand with rubber edge that goes with the drum. Dimensions:Instrument height without stand: approx. 90cmInstrument height with stand: approx. 110cmDiameter of head: approx. 9,5'' Due to all instruments of this series being artisanally manufactured, some small deviations may occur.

€587.00*

Atabaques are standing drums used in Capoeira and Afro-Brazilian religions like Candomblé. The drum’s barrel-shaped body and hide head are tensioned using wedges or tuning hoops. In Capoeira, the Rumpi (medium-sized) drum is typically used, although traditional sets include the Rum (largest), Rumpi, and Lê (smallest).

Capoeira today

In the last 50 years, a lot has changed in Capoeira – just like in many other disciplines. Modern Capoeira e.g. generally has sped up, there is more movement and the motion sequences are longer. Also, progress in modern sports medicine and more profound knowledge about training methods have led to avoiding unnecessary injuries. Musically, Capoeira still sticks to the tradition of original instruments skipping convenient possibilities like congas and not establishing tunable berimbaus.


Capoeira in europe

The first capoeiristas came to Europe in the late 1980s. Mestre China (Brazil-Paris) and Mestre Samara (Brazil – Amsterdam) were the first pioneers for Capoeira in Europe. There aren’t really any considerable visible deviations or regional development in Capoeira, merely the organisation of training sessions, events etc. is more structured in Europe.