Index of capoeira recordings by Simone Dreyfus
Source: Pol Briand – polbrian@mandinga.fr - https://polbrian.pagesperso-orange.fr/docs/dreyfus.htm#info
Reviewed: Dec 12, 2006.
Automatic translation, thanks for understanding.
General Information
After a trying mission in the Amazon on behalf of the Serviço de proteção dos Índios, its ethnologist-in-chief Darcy Ribeiro sends the French ethnologist Simone Dreyfus to spend some time in Salvador, Bahia. Guided by Pierre Verger, she records candomblé and capoeira¹ music.
These recordings will provide the basis for the disc edited by the Department of Ethnomusicology of the Museum of Man, Brazil vol. 2 -- Music from Bahia LD-16, 1956. Volume 1 presents examples of Indian music; the VOGUE phonographic editions reissued it in 1969 and 1972, but we have no certainty about volume 2.
The recordings are kept in the ethnomusicology laboratory of the Musée de l'Homme (CNRS UFR 7173). I would like to thank Mr. Tran Quan Hai and Mrs. Simone Dreyfus-Gamelon for giving me access to it.
Title: Capoeira Bahia 30/10/55
Date: Sunday, October 30, 1955
Authors: Simone Dreyfus-Roche (Gamelon) (1925 –) & Waldemar Rodrigues da Paixão, Mestre Waldemar (1916—1990)
Location of the originals: Sound library of the Musée de l'Homme, Ethnomusicology laboratory — CNRS UMR 7173.
Rating: BM.967.015.11
Technical:
Media: Scotch tape #111 A-P 1200ft (8” reel)
Recording speed: 19cm/s
Material: Unknown. Some defects in the recordings, probably due to the assistance.
Summary
Take 1: 09:02
Take 2: 06:52
Take 3: 05:54
Take 4: 04:17
Overall: 26:05
Remark
Recording disturbing little the progress of the capoeira of which it reports.
Good technical quality and good placement of the microphone.
The participants are not identified. We recognize the voice of Waldemar Rodrigues da Paixão.
Contents
We cut the recording into takes according to the audible stops in the original recording.
See the Glossary for a precise definition of Portuguese terms and a description of the instruments.
In the table, the background color denotes a complete capoeira sequence with chula, canto de entrada and one or more corridos.
Composition of the orchestra
Solo singer
male choir
Serious Berimbau
Acute berimbau
Pandeiro without jingles
Pandeiro with jingles
Reco-reco.
A roulette whistle, which does not participate in the music, intervenes at certain times. Testimonies indicate that he started or stopped the game of capoeira. We also hear a lot of conversations in the lively and joyful atmosphere of Waldemar²'s capoeira.
Summary description of recordings
1st recording: Duration 09:02
1a: Conversations ... Whistle ... Start of music (86 bpm) [Waldemar] Vão vadear … deixa ele vadear...
1b: 01:20 Chula: Torpedeira e encouraçado (97 bpm)
1c: 02:15 Canto de entrada: Iê é mandingueiro... 3 whistles.
1d: 03:30 Corrido: Paraná ê (120 bpm) 06:52 - crash: 0.6 sec without sound.
Whistle. Instrumental music. Exclamations. Hectic atmosphere with voice. Talks. Whistle. Confused conversations [Waldemar] Ah, vou descansar...
2nd recording: 06:52
2a: Instrumental, 82 bpm
2b: 00:40 Chula: Torpedeira e encouraçado (96 bpm)
2c: 01:35 Canto de entrada: Iê é mandingueiro... (the rest differs from take 1)
2d: 02:50 Corrido: É-é-ê tum tum tum / olhe a pisada de Lampião (114 bpm).
2nd: 05:40 Instrumental 124 bpm. Incentives.
3rd recording: 05:54
3a: Instrumental 108 bpm. Talks. Whistle. Exclamation Embora menino!
3b: 01:40 Corrido: Abalou capoeira abalou (110...122 bpm) Waldemar uses verses from the Chula from take 1, and on the well-known desafio from Riachão e o Negro; he also improvises on the lyrics of the chorus.
3c: 05:18 Instrumental. Whistle.
4th recording: 04:17
4a: Begins in the middle of a song.
4b: Corrido: Zum Zum Zum/ Besouro é um (112 bpm).
4c: 00:50 Instrumental [Waldemar] Agora! (...) Deixe a bateria... 01:09 Short whistle. Berimbaus duet (120 bpm), vocals 04:12 Long whistle. [Waldemar] Olha neguinho...
¹ Telephone communication from Mrs. Gamelon.Notes
² See description by composer Eunice Catunda: Capoeira no terreiro de Waldemar, Fundamentos, São Paulo, 1952 (available here)
Extract (Capoeira part) from the 33 rpm vinyl record Brazil Vol. 2 - Music from Bahia
Recorded and edited by Simone Dreyfus-Roche on 30-10-1955. She obtained for her Brazilian recordings, the LIOTARD 1956 prize, awarded by Mr. René Coty, President of the French Republic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYtlf1gOyxM
Related web links
The incredible story of Simone Dreyfus-Gamelon: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Dreyfus-Gamelon
CREM archives: https://archives.crem-cnrs.fr/archives/collections/CNRSMH_E_1957_012_001/
Interview of Simone Dreyfus (PDF in Portugues): clic here