Capoeira Connection

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Macaco	Monkey. Quebra milho como gente / É macaco It breaks corn like us / It’s a monkey
Maculelê	Maculelê is another Brazilian dance form with African roots. Ô meu mano, o que foi que tu viu lá Eu vi capoeira matando, o meu Deus, também vi maculelê Oh my brother, what was it you saw there I saw capoeira killing, oh my God, I also saw maculelê
Mãe, mamãe	Mother, mommy. Minha mãe chama Maria, lavadeira de Maré My mother is named Maria, a washer-woman of Maré
Maior	Great, greater, greatest. Agora acabei de crer, colega velha, berimbau é o maior I have just believed, old friend, the berimbau is the greatest
Mais	More. Cruz credo, Ave Maria / Quanto mais eu cantava ninguém respondia Holy cross, Hail Mary / The more I sang, no one responded
Maitá	See Humaitá.
Malandragem	Cunning, cleverness, craftiness.
Manhã	Morning. É de manhã, Idalina tá me chamando It’s morning, Idalina is calling me
Maracangalha	A village in the Brazilian state of Bahia, made famous by the exploits of Besouro. According to the inhabitants, the village’s name came from the gypsies who used to pass through there, who would yell Amarra a cangalha! ("harness the ox to the cart!") in order to prepare their animals for journeys. The slaves used to imitate this shout in order to mock the gypsies, and the village eventually became known as Maracangalha. Mataram Besouro em Maracangalha Contra faca de ticum, toda mandinga falha They killed Besouro in Maracangalha All magical protection fails against a knife made of ticum
Maracatu	A cultural celebration that comes from the coronation of the Reis do Congo ("Kings of the Congo," slaves who were put in leadership positions). It involves a parade with drummers, singers, dancers, and characters in costume. During the procession, the calungá (a sacred doll representing tribal deities) is carried by the Lady-in-Waiting of the cortege. In Brazil, maracatu is mainly found in the northeastern state of Pernambuco. Capoeira capu / Maculelê Maracatu Não é karatê, não é kung-fu Capoeira capu / Maculelê Maracatu It's not karate, it's not kung-fu
Marimbondo	Wasp, hornet. Onde tem marimbondo / É zum zum zum Wherever there’s a wasp / It’s zoom zoom zoom
Mandar	To send, to send for. Avisa meu mano, avisa meu mano Avisa meu mano, capoeira de angola mandou me chamar Tell my brother, tell my brother Tell my brother, capoeira de angola sent for me
Mandinga	Magic. The word comes from the Mandinga region of Western Africa, which was believed to be home to powerful sorcerers. Quem não pode com mandinga não carrega patuá Whoever can’t handle the magic, doesn’t carry a protection amulet
Mandingueiro	Someone skilled in the art of mandinga, a sorcerer, a clever guy. Iê, é mandingueiro, camará He’s a mandingueiro, comrade
Mangangá	Todo mundo ouviu falar / De Besouro Mangangá Everyone has heard / Of Besouro Mangangá
Mão	Hand. Ô Dona Alice não me pegue não Não me pegue, não me agarre, não me ponha a mão Oh Ms. Alice, don’t grab me, no Don’t grab me, don’t clutch me, don’t put your hand on me
Mar	Sea. Saia do mar, saia do mar marinheiro Leave from the sea, leave from the sea, sailor
Maré	Tide. Maré, maré / Maré da beira mar Tide, tide / Tide of the seaside
Marinheiro	Sailor. A canoa virou, marinheiro / No fundo do mar tem dinheiro The canoe overturned, sailor / There’s money in the depths of the sea
Mas	But. Capoeira balança mas não cai The capoeirista sways but doesn’t fall
Massapé	A type of earth that is like clay; it is normally black and especially well-suited to the cultivation of sugarcane. Quem não sabe andar / Pisa no massapé escorrega Whoever doesn't know how to walk / Steps on the clay and slips
Mata	Forest. Vou entrar na mata, vou tirar madeira I will enter the forest, I will take out wood
Matar	To kill. Canarinho de Alemanha que matou meu curió Little German canary that killed my songbird
Mato	Underbrush. A onça morreu, o mato é meu The jaguar died, the underbrush is mine
Médio	Berimbau with a medium-sized cabaça; its role is to invert the rhythm of the gunga.
Melhor	Better, best. Eu jogo capoeira, mas meu mestre é melhor I play capoeira, but my master is better
Menino, menina	Boy, girl. O menino chorou / Nhem nhem nhem The boy cried / Nyah nyah nyah
Mercado Modelo	A historical market in the city of Salvador where slaves were once sold. Today, the market is home to artisans and merchants selling artwork, musical instruments, and souvenirs. There have been daily capoeira rodas at the Mercado Modelo for over 50 years. Quando chego no Mercado Modelo, Modelo, perto do amanhecer Já tem muita gente me esperando, perguntando, ”Negão, que vai fazer?” When I arrive at the Mercado Modelo, just after dawn There are already many people waiting for me, asking, “Dude, what are you going to do?”
Mestre	Master. Ô mestre, ô mestre / Todo mundo quer ser mestre Oh master, oh master / Everyone wants to be a master
Meu	My, mine (masculine form). Ô me dá meu dinheiro, ô me dá meu dinheiro, valentão Give me my money, give me my money, tough guy
Minha	My, mine (feminine form). Minha sereia, rainha do mar, não deixa meu barco virar My mermaid, queen of the sea, don’t let my boat overturn
Moeda	Coin. A cabaça e o caxixi, e um pedaço de pau A moeda e o arame, está aí o berimbau The gourd and the caxixi, and a piece of wood The coin and the wire; this is a berimbau
Moleque	Boy, kid, street urchin. The word comes from an African language and means “boy,” but in Brazil it came to have the pejorative connotation of a street kid who steals things, makes trouble, and throws stones at the houses of respectable residents. It also came to refer to an adult with the same qualities. É tu que é moleque / Moleque é tu You’re the moleque / You’re the moleque
Morder	To bite. Olha a cobra lhe morde / Senhor São Bento The snake bites you / Lord Saint Benedict
Morena	Girl with dark skin or dark hair. Leva morena me leva, me leva pro seu bangalô Take me, girl, take me; take me to your bungalow
Morrer	To die. Quando eu morrer, disse Besouro / Não quero choro e nem vela When I die, said Besouro / I don’t want weeping or candles
Muito, muita	Much, many, lots, very. Muitos anos se passaram, o negro sempre a lutar Many years passed, the black man always battling Jogue comigo com muito cuidado Play with me very carefully
Mulher	Woman. Ô Inácio, Ô Inácio, mulher parida não come Farinha no mesmo dia. Se ela come ela morre, e os filhos não se criam Oh Inácio, Oh Inácio, a woman who has just given birth doesn’t eat Flour on the same day. If she eats, she dies, and no one raises the children
Mundo	World. Ô que mundo velho e grande / Ô que mundo enganador What a big, old world / What a deceptive world

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