Brazil became a musical country because of its origins: the Indians played bamboo flutes, the Portuguese brought their singers and guitarists, and the Africans brought their diverse and exciting rhythms. African music was imported in the first hundred years of the colony and enriched through contact with Portuguese music. A remarkably diverse, beautiful and bizarre music developed in the country.
Just as diverse was the world of musical instruments.
The agogo is an instrument consisting of two to three differently toned bells without tongues, connected by a metal curved handle. Sounds are extracted from it with a wooden stick.
Agogo plays the main rhythmic patterns, introducing clear metallic sounds that emphasize the rhythm of the drums; sometimes complements melodies with a tinkling sol.
The alfaia is a large wooden drum covered on both sides with thick leather. It produces a very low but loud sound. The tension of the leather depends on the tension of the interwoven ropes along the body of the instrument.
This drum is played with two thick sticks. It is the main instrument in the “Maracatu de Baque Virado”.
Became popular in the early 90’s due to the fact that it was used by various musicians of contemporary music. Now it is used not only in traditional directions such as: maracatu, afoshe, but also modern – funkeado, embolada and others.
Brazilian musical instrument from the group of friction drums, most often used in samba. The sound it produces is similar to a shrieking human voice.
Kuiki usually has a metal or wooden body in the shape of a cylinder, a leather membrane with a diameter of 6-10 centimeters, to the center of which a wooden rod (bamboo stick) is tied with threads from the inside. The musician, with a piece of cloth clasped in his hand, rubs the stick up and down, pressing the thumb of the other hand on the leather membrane from the outside. The friction causes the skin of the drum to vibrate. The tone of the sound changes depending on the amount of pressure on the membrane. The cuica plays an important role in traditional Brazilian dance music.
An apito is a wooden or plastic whistle. Brazilian musicians not only signal with it the end of a melody or a change of rhythm, but also give out entire solo parts. A musician can simultaneously lead the rhythm on Alfaya or Surdu and play along on Apita.
A ganza is a metal shaker in the form of a single or twin tube, sealed on all sides, filled with small pebbles or shot. When shaken, it creates an audible rustling sound. Playing the instrument seems simple, but requires a lot of strength and a good sense of rhythm.
Kavakinho (kavaku) – looks like a guitar, but three times smaller in size. Instrument popular in Portugal and Brazil. Kawakinho is the prototype of the Hawaiian guitar. It is an instrument with only four strings, tuned like the top four strings of a regular guitar. It is known worldwide for the direction of Bosanova music.
Tamborim is a small, highly tuned tambourine with a plastic membrane 6 inches in diameter. It is played with a plastic stick or brush made up of nylon rods. Holding it with one hand, turning it up and down, the stick is struck, extracting sounds. It not only keeps the rhythm, but also sets the accents in samba melodies.
The timbau is a cone-shaped drum with a plastic membrane on one side. It has a clear ringing sound and a strong bass, which sometimes resembles the West African instrument Djambe. It can be wooden or plastic, on a stand or on a strap, in different sizes. It is played with the hands, which gives the opportunity to produce a variety of sounds: from a deep but clear muffled knock to a high sonorous accent.
The surdo is a very deep, loud Brazilian bass double-headed drum. It is made of metal or thin wood, the “heads” are covered with goatskin (nowadays – often plastic). Necessary in samba parades. The sound is extracted with a wooden mallet and a hand or two bells. It is the heart and pulse of any batucada orchestra. Holds the basic rhythm on which all other instruments are based.
The abe is an African instrument that is firmly established in Brazil. It is made of a dried gourd with a mesh of beads on top. When this instrument is shaken, it produces a characteristic rustling sound. The sound is very loud, so it is not substituted in an orchestra of Alfaya and other loud drums.