Besouro Mangangá

Lyrics, Translations, Music Video and Song Meaning

Besouro Mangangá

Author: Instrutor Perninha

Song Lyrics

0:10 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:14 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:18 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:23 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:25 - Cidade de Santo Amaro

Eng: The city of Santo Amaro

0:27 - Terra do Maculele

Eng: The land of Maculele

0:29 - Viu os Mestres Popo e Vavá

Eng: I saw the Masters Popo and Vava

0:31 - E viu Besouro a nascer

Eng: And saw the birth of Besouro

0:33 - Besouro Besouro Besouro

Eng: Besouro Besouro Besouro

0:35 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:39 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:42 - Besouro cordão de ouro

Eng: Besouro cordão de ouro

0:44 - Manoel Henrique Pereira

Eng: Manoel Henrique Pereira

0:46 - Desordeiro pra polícia

Eng: Made mass to the police

0:48 - Uma lenda pra Capoeira

Eng: A legend to the Capoeira

0:50 - Eeeee Besouro

Eng: Eeeee Besouro

0:52 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:56 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

0:59 - Mandinga nao vai pegar

Eng: Magic won't catch

1:00 - Pois tinha corpo fechado

Eng: Because he has a closed body

1:02 - Conheceu Noca e Barroquinha

Eng: Visited local Barroquinha

1:04 - Doze Homens e Canario Pardo

Eng: Twelve Men and Brown Canario

1:06 - Eeeee Besouro

Eng: Eeeee Besouro

1:08 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

1:12 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá

1:15 - A lenda diz que Mangangá

Eng: The legend tells that Mangangá

1:17 - Também sabia voar

Eng: Also knew to fly

1:19 - Transformando em besouro

Eng: Transform to Beatle

1:21 - Pra da polícia escapar

Eng: To escape the police

1:23 - Besouro Besouro Besouro

Eng: Besouro Besouro Besouro

1:25 - Besouro Mangangá

Eng: Besouro Mangangá


History and sentiment behind song

Besouro became a folk legend in Bahia in Brazil, as he became renowned for fighting injustice and standing up for the oppressed and impoverished black population in the area. Although slavery was officially abolished, many poor black workers were only “paid” with accommodation and food: it was really still slavery, just under a different name. The “police” were the armed enforcers of the powerful landlords, ensuring the status quo. The legends state that Besouro refused to accept these injustices, and would demand fair pay for his labour and that of the local people. When the plantation owners would call in the police in an attempt to quell the uprisings, he would use his amazing capoeira skills to fight for justice. There are numerous stories where Besouro would be hugely outnumbered by police armed with weapons and guns, but would escape unharmed to fight another day. His apelido “Besouro” referred to this ability to always escape these precarious situations: Like a beetle he could scurry away or take flight, evading capture. “Mangangá” is a word of African origin, which refers to a type of magical spell, which is used to create a “closed body” (corpo fechado), making it invincible against attack, even from knives and bullets, providing that the person wears a “Patua” (magic amulet) and abstains from sex.


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