One of the dates that comes up often in capoeira songs is 13 May, the day slavery was abolished in Brazil. But the songs don’t always tell of this day as a celebration; some celebrate it, others question it.
In this article we explain what the Lei Áurea, the Golden Law, was, what happened after slavery was abolished and how capoeira songs look at 13 May.
What is the Lei Áurea?
The Lei Áurea is Law no. 3,353, signed on 13 May 1888. Because Emperor Pedro II was abroad, it was signed by his daughter Princess Isabel, acting as regent. The law has only two articles: the first declares slavery abolished in Brazil from that date, the second repeals all provisions to the contrary.
Brazil was the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery. According to the sources, when the law was passed there were still hundreds of thousands of enslaved people in the country; a frequently cited estimate is around seven hundred thousand.
The steps before the law
The Lei Áurea did not come out of nowhere. Before it, laws had been passed that narrowed slavery step by step:
- 1850: The slave trade from Africa was banned (the Eusébio de Queirós Law).
- 1871: The ‘Law of the Free Womb’ (Lei do Ventre Livre) declared children born to enslaved mothers free.
- 1885: The ‘Sexagenarian Law’ (Lei dos Sexagenários) freed enslaved people over the age of 60.
- 1880s: The abolitionist movement grew, and mass escapes of enslaved people increased.
What the law did not bring
The Lei Áurea proclaimed freedom, but it gave the newly freed no land, compensation, work or education. The sources we consulted stress this point: the law formally ended slavery but brought no social rights to those who were freed.
Many people who left the plantations went to cities such as Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. Work was hard to find in the cities, and the outskirts grew. A year later, in 1889, the monarchy fell and a republic was proclaimed. The new Penal Code of 1890 explicitly made capoeira a crime. We cover this law in our article on the 1890 Penal Code.
Capoeira in the era of slavery
Capoeira developed among Africans brought to Brazil in slavery and their descendants. A large share of the oldest written records of capoeira are Rio de Janeiro police records from the early 19th century. Between 1810 and 1821 the Rio police registers contain 438 capoeira charges, almost all of them against enslaved men.
In other words, in the era of slavery capoeira was both a game and a ‘crime’ the police pursued. When slavery ended, capoeira did not disappear; it lived on in the poor neighbourhoods of the cities with the newly freed. The republican government’s banning of capoeira by law within a few years was also a result of this continuity.
13 May in capoeira songs
Capoeira songs carry capoeira’s oral history. Slavery, freedom, the masters and everyday life are their main themes. 13 May is remembered in these songs in two different ways.
One group of songs remembers 13 May as the day freedom came. In these songs, liberation from slavery is sung as a joy, and there are even lines thanking Princess Isabel.
The other group questions this narrative. According to the sources we consulted, the ladainha ‘A História Nos Engana’ (History Deceives Us), recorded by the Capoeira Angola master Mestre Moraes in the late 1980s, says that 13 May is not a day to celebrate and that the struggle of Black people continued despite the law. Songs like this became more common especially after the 1980s, as the Black movement in Brazil grew stronger.
13 May or 20 November?
From the 1970s onwards, Brazil’s Black movement put 20 November forward instead of 13 May. 20 November is the day in 1695 when Zumbi, leader of the quilombo of Palmares, was killed, and it is now commemorated as Black Consciousness Day. This choice emphasises the idea that freedom was won not by a princess’s signature but by the resistance of the enslaved themselves. Under a law passed in 2023, 20 November became a nationwide public holiday in Brazil.
Zumbi and Palmares also appear often in capoeira songs. Hearing songs about these two dates in the roda shows how this debate in Brazil is reflected in capoeira.
Understanding the songs
Capoeira songs are in Portuguese and often contain old language, metaphors and historical references. As you sing the choruses together in class, you also learn what the words mean. Knowing what a ladainha is about helps you understand why that moment in the roda is listened to so seriously.
You can find the song types (ladainha, chula, corrido) in our article capoeira musical instruments and the lyrics of Mestre Barrão’s songs on our Music page.
Frequently asked questions
Who signed the Lei Áurea?
Princess Isabel, acting as regent while her father Pedro II was abroad, signed it on 13 May 1888.
Was capoeira free after slavery was abolished?
No. Two years later, in 1890, the Penal Code made capoeira a crime. The ban was lifted with the new Penal Code of 1940.
Is 13 May celebrated in capoeira?
It varies from group to group. Some groups mark the day with events, others emphasise 20 November. Both views live on in the songs.
Were there free Black people before the Lei Áurea?
Yes. Before 1888 there were many freed or free-born Black people. The 1871 and 1885 laws had also freed certain groups; the Lei Áurea abolished all remaining slavery.
Hear history in the roda
Capoeira songs are like a history lesson, best learned in the roda, to the berimbau. In Axé Capoeira Türkiye groups the first class is a free trial.
Read more
- The 1890 Penal Code: Article 402, Which Made Capoeira a Crime
- Besouro Mangangá: The Man in the Documents and the Legend in the Songs
- Samba de Roda and Capoeira: Two Traditions of the Same Roda
New to capoeira? Start with our guide What is capoeira and how is it played?.
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