Quando o berimbau conta histórias: uma investigação centrada nas cantigas da capoeira

Abstract

This monograph analyzes capoeira songs as expressions of resistance, historical memory, and identity formation within Afro-Brazilian culture. Based on the recognition of capoeira as Brazilian Intangible Cultural Heritage by IPHAN (2008) and adopting the period from 2008 to 2024 as the temporal framework, the study highlights the central role of songs in preserving ancestral knowledge. The research follows a qualitative approach, conducting a critical analysis of traditional songs recorded in rodas and in public-domain materials, examining their poetic, symbolic, and thematic elements. This analysis is articulated with the sociocultural context of capoeira and supported by a literature review focused on Afro-Brazilian culture, orality, heritage, and education. The results indicate that capoeira songs function as living sound archives that transmit teachings, strengthen Black identities, and mobilize historical strategies of resistance. The study concludes that these songs constitute essential intangible heritage whose historical, cultural, and pedagogical relevance deserves greater academic recognition.