Berimbau

The berimbau is a single-string percussion instrument that belongs to the stick-zither chordophone family. It has strong regional ties to the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. It also has a cultural affinity to Brazilians of African descent. Capoeira is famous outside Brazil, giving the berimbau a broader reach in recent decades.

Many researchers agree that the berimbau originates from the Angolan region of west-central Africa. This place in Africa was infamous for slave transportation for plantation labor. Bows were unlikely to have been carried to Brazil by enslaved people; instead, they were most likely recreated from the memory of people who had migrated to Brazil.

Origin of the Berimbau

The usage of the basket-rattle caxixi by bow players dates back to 1856. At the same time, the oldest reference of a berimbau predecessor (urucongo) dates back to the early nineteenth century. The first mentions of capoeira originate from the second half of the nineteenth century. It's still unclear when the berimbau was first used in capoeira, although it's most likely in the early twentieth century.

A wooden string carrier (verga or arco), a gourd resonator with a big opening (cabaça) connected to it, and a single metal string make up the berimbau (arame or corda, frequently acquired from the sidewall of an automobile tire). There are three distinct sizes, which differ more in the relative size of their cabaças than the length of their verga's: gunga (biggest), médio or center (middle-sized), and viola (smallest).

Dobrao

The arame, shorter than the verga, is tensioned by tying loops over notches carved in the bow's end (the bow must be flexed considerably to accomplish this). With a string tension loop (or sliding nut) that runs over the arame towards the bottom end of the bow, the cabaça's apex is pressure coupled with the verge. The string stops with a metal coin known as dobro or moeda. The string is activated by a thin striking stick (baqueta), and a little wicker rattle called a caxixi. Standing or seated, the performer holds the bow vertically with his left hand. The arch of the bow points away from him, and the opening of the cabaca facing his abdomen (this instrument is also famous as the 'belly bow,' or berimbau de barriga).

The performer grabs the dobrao between his left thumb and index finger. The baqueta and the caxixi are usually in the player's right hand. To trigger the string, it needs to strike towards its bottom end with the baqueta and hear the caxixi respond to the energy of these blows. Moreover, the fundamental pitch of the bow is adjustable by halting the string a little more above the tuning noose with the dobrao. The player can induce timbral shifts by pushing the cabaca on his belly.