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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Capoeira Song "Zum Zum Zum" ("Zoom Zoom Zoom") videos, lyrics, & meaning




Uploaded by tyraj on Apr 20, 2008

Capoeira song entitled Zoom Zoom Zoom
Axe to all capoeristas from capoeirabrasil Poland

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update - January 30, 2024

This pancocojams post showcases four videos of the Brazilian Capoeira song "Zum Zum Zum Mata Um" ("Zoom Zoom Zoom"). Lyrics for that song, and information about the meaning of those lyrics are also provided in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, educational, and aesthetic purposes. T

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the performers, musicians, and video producers of these featured videos. Thanks also to the uploaders of these videos, the authors of the comments that are quoted.

Axe* to all capoeristas!

*Axe = Portuguese for the Yoruba (Nigeria) word "ase" [ashay] meaning power & blessings.

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BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CAPOEIRA
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira:
"Capoeira... is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences , probably beginning in the 16th century. It is known by quick and complex moves, using mainly power, speed, and leverage for leg sweeps...

More than a fighting style, it was created as a hope of survival, a tool with which an escaped slave, completely unequipped, could survive in the hostile, unknown land and face the hunt of the capitães-do-mato, colonial agents armed and mounted in charge of finding escapees."

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From http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=pOUmRNnTBP0 [The YouTube viewer comment thread for the video labeled here as Video #1]
...capoeira was created by african slaves in brazil, not the USA. nonetheless, when capoeira started out it was meant to look like a dance so that the slave masters wouldn't try to kill the slaves, but that doesnt necessarily make it a dance...
-jameschatepa, 2011
-snip-
According to two commenters on the YouTube viewer comment thread for the sound file given here as Video #1, "Zum Zum Zum" is not that well known in Brazil, and "Paranaue" is the most popular Capoeira song. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/paranaue-videos-lyrics-meaning.html for a Pancocojams post that showcases videos & provides lyrics for & comments of the song "Paranaue".

"Zum Zum Zum Mata Um" became known in the United States through the 1993 Capoeira movie "Only The Strong" and through the 2000 Mazda car commercial which featured a version of that song. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_the_Strong for information that movie. The complete movie is posted on YouTube.

Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfyTO8xLjvQ for the Mazda commercial that features a version of this song.

-snip-
Capoeira songs feature the berimbau musical instrument.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berimbau:

"The berimbau... is a single-string percussion instrument, a musical bow, from Brazil. The berimbau's origins are not entirely clear, but there is not much doubt about its African origin, as no Indigenous Brazilian or European people use musical bows, and very similar instruments are played in the southern parts of Africa."

Click http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1140 "Videos Of Traditional Musical Instruments A-C for videos of that instrument.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1:
This video is presented at the top of this page.

This song is sung by Serapis Bey.

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Editor: Videos #2 & #3 feature the same Serapis Bey version of "Zum Zum Zum Mata Um" as Video #1. However, I'm also featuring those videos for their visual content.

Video #2: capoeira zum



Uploaded by marmol540yagami on Aug 12, 2007

weno es tes video

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Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=creOWJGnowo:
"zoom zoom zoom capoeira kills one. Its played when someone is about to get in trouble. the zoom means the sound of the berimbau and the sound of the fast kicks...search on the internet for full lyrics :) btw theres 2 songs mashed here, zum zum zum and Paranaue"
-rezZZzz, 2011

-snip-
The Capoiera song "Paranaue" begins at 2:26 of that video.

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Video #3: zum zum zum - capoeira song (legenda-caption in Brazilian portuguese)



Uploaded by Alessandrobrs on Mar 1, 2009

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Video #4: Capoeira Mata Um (Zum Zum Zum) - Hardhouse Banton Bootleg



Uploaded by HardhouseBanton on Apr 11, 2011

Quick little something I found listening to some samba! Chopped it up, added bits n pieces and it sounded tuff lol!

Obviously its not an original piece, so all rights reserved to mr Jackson! Check it out! For more of my stuff check out my soundcloud!

http://soundcloud.com/hardhousebanton

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LYRICS & TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
From http://www.capsprings.com/Music/Lyrics.aspx:

Portuguese version:
Zum, zum, zum,
Capoeira mata um!
Zum, zum, zum,
Capoeira mata um!
Onde tem marimbondo
Tem zum, zum, zum
Onde tem marimbondo
Tem zum, zum, zum

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English translation:
Zum, zum, zum,
Capoeira kills one!
Zum, zum, zum,
Capoeira kills one!
Where there is a wasp
There is a zum, zum, zum
Where there is a wasp
There is a zum, zum, zum

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"
Zum, zum, zum, describes both the sound of the berimbau, and the quick movements of the capoeiristas. The chorus responds "where there is a wasp there is a zum, zum, zum." In English we might say "where there is smoke there is fire!" Watch out, if you can hear the sound of the berimbau there is probably a capoeirista nearby."
-snip-
Here are several comments about the meaning of this song from the YouTube viewer comment thread for the sound file that is presented here as Video #1 http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=pOUmRNnTBP0:

it's 'bout some insects in the jungle

their bites are very dangerous... and when slaves were practicing capoeira they could hear 'zum zum zum' made by wings of these bugs passing by

so they had to kill it before it bite a man

and the song is about it
-oleyullah, 2009

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yoo i hate when people say thats from the movie ONLY THE STRONG and from the mazda commercial.... that song has been around for more than 150 years...
-malandrodenwk, 2010

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... They say "Capoeira mata um" and the zoom zoom zoom, hes not reffering to a knife, but to a "maribondo" which is a large brazilian fly that at times can be dangerous...
-malandrodenwk, 2009

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