Ladeira Do Pelourinho
Lyrics, Translations, Video and Song Meaning
Song Lyrics
Ladeira do Pelourinho
Ladeira do Pelourinho, ora meu Deus
Onde eu comecei a andar
No Forte Santo Antônio
Eu comecei praticar
A Capoeira de Angola
João Pequeno táva lá
Os turistos todos os dias
Iam nos prestigiar
O governador vendo isso
Tratou logo de acabar
Vendo Capoeira Angola
Era dança de matar
Olha, eu disse, governador
Não faça isso mais não
Capoeira de Angola é
Uma grande tradição
Quando eu pego na viola
ora meu Deus
Dói até meu coração
E o jogo de Capoeira
É um jogo de irmão
Quando eu entro na roda
Não tem agressão
Eu jogo a Capoeira
Do fundo do meu coração
Agradeço a meu Deus
E ao Mestre João
Por me ensinar a Capoeira
Com toda dedicação
Ie Viva meu deus…
English Translation
At the slope of Pelourinho
At the slope of Pelourinho,oh my God
Where I started walking
At Fortress Santo Antônio
I started practicing
The Capoeira Angola
João Pequeno was there
The daily tourists
Appreciating us
The governor seeing this
Command to end this soon
Viewing Capoeira Angola
Like it was dance of kill
Look, I said, Governor
Don’t do it no more
Capoeira Angola is
A great tradition
When I picked up my viola
oh my God
It hurts my heart
And the game of Capoeira
It is a game of brothers
When I enter the roda
Has no aggression
I play Capoeira
From the bottom of my heart
I thank my God
And the Master Joao
For teach me Capoeira
With all the dedication
Ie Long live my master
History and sentiment behind song
“Pelourinho” means pillory, and Salvador’s pelourinho last stood at the top of the sloping Largo do Pelourinho, final point in a journey which began in the city’s first open market in the Praça da Feira (today known as Praça Municipal — the open square at the top of the Elevador Lacerda). The pelourinho stood at the market’s center. Salvador is the capital of Bahia, whose large bay and proximity to Africa made it a major port for the slave trade. The descendants of slaves have taken over this symbolic spot, an entry point for African culture in the New World.
