Listening Sessions
Capoeira Music from Bahia on Vinyl
Once a month we put records from my collection on the turntable and listen, properly. The focus is on recordings from Bahia from the 1950s to the 1980s: Mestre Waldemar, Traíra, Canjiquinha, Caiçara, Joel, Pastinha, Bimba and Camafeu de Oxóssi.
The approach
We talk about what we hear and try it out ourselves. We sing along with the ladainhas, set up the bateria the way it sounds on the recordings and study covers, booklets, drawings, photos and films from the period.
I don't bring ready-made answers, I bring records, sources and plenty of questions. If you go home with more questions than you arrived with, it was a good workshop.
Next date
Saturday, 28 November 2026 · 13:00–16:00 · Frankfurt-Bahnhofsviertel
You'll get the exact address after registering.
Mestre Waldemar & Mestre Traíra
- Mestre Waldemar: a short recording made by the ethnologist Simone Dreyfus-Roche in 1955 in his barracão in Salvador
- Mestre Traíra: the 1963 LP "Capoeira da Bahia", both sides. We sing the ladainhas together.
- What did the bateria look like? We try to find out from the recordings, the drawings by Carybé and old photos and films.
For everyone who loves capoeira music, whatever group you come from. A maximum of 10 participants.
Instruments are provided. If you have your own, feel free to bring them. For some sessions I'll let you know in advance what we especially need.
Taking part
€25 incl. booklet
You get the series booklet with translated lyrics, sources and archival finds. It grows with every workshop. After costs, everything goes to Casa Mestre Ananias. If you'd like to give more, feel free to round up.
Where the money goes
After costs, everything goes to the Casa Mestre Ananias in São Paulo, led today by Mestre Minhoca. Mestre Ananias stands for the traditional capoeira music of Bahia. You can hear him on Mestre Joel's record, which we will listen to later in the series. That way we connect Frankfurt and São Paulo and give something back to where this music comes from.
The series
These records and mestres are on the plan:
- Saturday, 28 November 2026Mestre Waldemar & Mestre Traíra (1955 & 1963)
- Date TBAMestre Bimba (1962)
- Date TBACamafeu de Oxóssi – „Berimbaus da Bahia" (1967)
- Date TBAMestre Caiçara (1969)
- Date TBAMestre Pastinha (1969)
- Date TBAMestre Joel (1979)
- Date TBAMestre Waldemar & Mestre Canjiquinha (1986)
FAQ
I train with a different capoeira group. Can I join?
Yes. The sessions are for everyone who loves capoeira music, whatever group you come from.
Do I need to bring my own instruments?
No, instruments are provided. If you have your own, feel free to bring them. For some sessions I'll let you know in advance what we especially need.
Where do the sessions take place?
In Frankfurt's Bahnhofsviertel. You'll get the exact address after registering.
What if a session is fully booked?
The registration form puts you on the waiting list. If a spot opens up, I'll get in touch.
I already joined a session. Do I get the booklet again?
You get the new pages for your booklet. It grows with every workshop.
What language are the sessions in?
German or English, depending on the participants.
Is there a minimum age?
The sessions are for adults. We work with a lot of complicated texts, some of them in Portuguese.
New dates are announced on Instagram: @capopoeira
Axé, Professor Popô