Bahia Singular e Plural 6

Repente (also called cantoria de viola or repentismo) is a Northeastern Brazilian tradition of improvised sung poetry in which two singers (repentistas) engage in lyrical duels. Accompanied primarily by the viola caipira (ten‑string guitar), performers improvise verses on a given theme, responding to one another with wit, metaphor, humor, and social commentary. Common metrical forms include sextilha (six lines), septilha (seven), décima (ten, often in the Espinela scheme), and hendecasyllabic patterns such as galope à beira‑mar and martelo agalopado. Repente is closely connected to cordel literature and to public challenges (desafios), and it thrives in markets, fairs, festivals of violeiros, and radio/TV contests across Brazil’s Northeast.