Coming to voice through capoeira

Paper presented by Ana Paz for the panel “Aesthetics of the majority world” at the 2024 DSA Conference held at SOAS University of London.

Coming to Voice through Capoeira: Black Woman
Embody a history by Ana Paz.

This structure of reflections and analysis is here to mirror the essence of Capoeira
which is always in conversation with the past, present and potential future. Finding a
way to evoke different memories from our embodiments. The reader should try to flow
and surrender, consider this being read in the form of cycles. The word Iêê which is an
act of calling attention and attracting energy before the ladainha (litany/prayer). To
conclude the word Iê is repeated to close the ritual.

Iêê
Tudo que ficar no silêncio
tudo que ficar no silêncio
um dia vai ouvir
tudo que ta no silencio
um dia vai ouvir
Ay um dia vai chegar
Que você vai encontrar
o valor da sua voz
Toda luta toda dor
Que também carrega amor
Ai o tempo vai mostra
Por que o tempo e nosso pai
Capoeira a nossa mãe
A semente de resistência
Que não dá pra rá negar
se você é mandingueira
se você é mandingueiro
bota lá a mão no chão
vai sentir a vibração
yeee a força que vem de baixo
o ya ya
nosso mundo ancestral camará
viva meu deus!
Iêê

Everything that remains in silence
everything that remains in silence
one day you will hear
everything that remains in silence
one day you will hear
one day it will come
That you will find
the value of your voice
All the fight all the pain
That also carries love
Oh, time will show
Because time is our father
Capoeira our mother
The seed of resistance
That you cannot deny
if you are a mandingueira
if you are a mandingueiro
put your hand on the ground
you will feel the vibration
yeee the strength that comes from
below
o ya ya
our ancestral world camará
long live my god!

Read the full paper here