Ginga E Balança
Lyrics, Translations, Music Video and Song Meaning
Song Lyrics
0:12 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
0:15 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
0:17 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
0:18 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
0:22 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
0:23 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
0:26 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
0:28 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
0:30 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
0:33 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
0:35 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
0:36 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
0:39 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
0:42 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
0:44 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
0:46 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
0:48 - Meu berimbau
Eng: My berimbau
0:50 - Tem laço de fita
Eng: Has a ribbon bow
0:53 - No meu pescoço patuá contra mandinga
Eng: On my neck, it is against magic
0:58 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
1:00 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
1:02 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
1:04 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
1:07 - Ê, jogo de Angola
Eng: Hey, Angola
1:09 - E Regional
Eng: and Regional
1:11 - Jogo de dentro, não pode correr do pau
Eng: Playing inside, it can't run from the stick
1:16 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
1:18 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
1:20 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
1:22 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
1:25 - Ê, entrou na roda
Eng: Hey, got in the roda
1:27 - Puxou a ginga
Eng: pulled the swing
1:29 - Balança o corpo
Eng: Rock the body
1:31 - Pensando em Mestre Bimba
Eng: Thinking of Mestre Bimba
1:34 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
1:36 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
1:38 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
1:40 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
1:43 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
1:45 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
1:47 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
1:49 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
1:52 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
1:54 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
1:57 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
1:58 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
2:00 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
2:02 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:04 - Quero ver, Quero ver, Quero ver
Eng: I want to see, I want to see, I want to see
2:06 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
2:09 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
2:11 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:14 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
2:15 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:18 - Balança Balança
Eng: Balance Balance
2:19 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:21 - e ginga
Eng: And swing
2:22 - Quero ver, Quero ver, Quero ver
Eng: I want to see, I want to see, I want to see
2:24 - Na mandinga
Eng: And magic
2:27 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
2:28 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:31 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
2:32 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
2:35 - Ginga ginga
Eng: Swing swing
2:36 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
2:38 - Balança e ginga ginga
Eng: Balance and swing swing
2:40 - Quero ver, Quero ver, Quero ver
Eng: I want to see, I want to see, I want to see
2:42 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
2:45 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
2:47 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:49 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
2:51 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
2:54 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
2:56 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
2:58 - Eu quero ver
Eng: I want to see
3:00 - O balanço na mandinga
Eng: The balance in the magic
3:03 - Ginga e balança
Eng: Swing and balance
3:05 - Balança e ginga
Eng: Balance and swing
History and sentiment behind song
The ginga (literally: rocking back and forth; to swing) is the fundamental movement in capoeira, important both for attack and defense purposes. It has two main objectives. One is to keep the capoeirista in a state of constant motion, preventing him or her from being a still and easy target. The other, using also fakes and feints, is to mislead, fool, trick the opponent, leaving them open for an attack or a counter-attack.
The song refers to Mandinga which is a tricky and strategic quality of the game, and even a certain esthetic, where the game is expressive and at times theatrical, particularly in the Angola style. The roots of the term mandingueiro would be a person who had the magic ability to avoid harm due to protection from the Orixas.
The word mandinga refers to “magic” or “spell.” In some senses that meaning applies to capoeira, but in a different context. Mandinga in the capoeira environment means, amongst many things, the hidden power that one has to disguise their real intention and to trick the opponent.
