The berimbau (Portuguese pronunciation: [beɾĩˈbaw], borrowed from the Kimbundu language as "mbirimbau") is a traditional musical instrument from Angola. It is widely used in Brazil and is also called "sekitulege" by the Baganda and Busoga people. The instrument has a single string attached to a bow and a gourd, which acts as a hollow container to amplify sound. It is played using a stick and a coin or stone to produce different sounds and rhythms. During the 19th century, the berimbau was used in many parts of Africa and Brazil to support chants and storytelling. It is part of the candomblé tradition and later became a key element of the Afro-Brazilian art form capoeira. Until the mid-20th century, the berimbau was mostly used within the Black community. However, after capoeira became more popular, the instrument gained wider recognition. Today, the berimbau is used in many types of modern music.

History

The berimbau is a type of musical bow that came from African gourde instruments. Neither Indigenous Brazilian nor European people used musical bows before. According to musicologist Gerard Kubik, the berimbau and the "southwest Angolan variety called mbulumbumba" are the same in how they are built, played, tuned, and the basic patterns used. The use of this Angolan instrument is also seen in other Bantu words for musical bows in Brazilian Portuguese, such as urucungo and madimba lungungu.

In 1859, French journalist Charles Ribeyrolles wrote about African slaves practicing freely on a plantation in Rio de Janeiro province. He connected the berimbau to the batuque.

The berimbau first appeared as an instrument that accompanied capoeira in the early 1900s in Bahia. Over time, it replaced the drum as the main instrument for capoeira, which it is now famous for and widely associated with.

As a weapon

Mestre Pastinha remembered that during the time capoeira was banned, players sometimes attached a sickle with two sharp edges to the berimbau, making it a dangerous weapon when needed. He said, "At the most important moment, it would stop being a musical instrument and become a hand sickle." Mestre Noronha also said that in the 1920s, older capoeira masters used the berimbau as a tool to fight against police. They made it a weapon by sharpening one end or attaching a blade to it, which made it the farthest-reaching weapon used in capoeira.

The practice of hiding weapons inside musical instruments began in the early 1800s. On November 16, 1832, a police officer in Rio reported that capoeira players hid spears and weapons inside marimbas and sugarcane pieces.

Design

The berimbau is made of a wooden bow (verga), usually about 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) long, traditionally made from biribá wood found in Brazil. A steel string (arame), often taken from the inside of a car tire, is tightly stretched from one end of the verga to the other. A dried, hollowed-out calabash gourd (cabaça) is attached to the bottom of the verga with a strong string. This gourd helps make the sound louder.

Starting in the 1950s, Brazilian berimbaus were painted in bright colors to match local tastes. Today, most makers use clear varnish and simple designs to meet the preferences of tourists who seek a style that appears authentic.

To play the berimbau, hold it in one hand. Wrap the middle fingers around the verga and place the little finger under the loop of string that connects the cabaça (called the anel). Use this loop to balance the instrument. Hold a small stone or coin (pedra or dobrão) between the index finger and thumb of the same hand. Rest the cabaça against the abdomen. In the other hand, hold a stick (baqueta or vaqueta), usually made of wood, and a shaker (caxixi). Strike the steel string with the stick to make sound. The shaker is played at the same time. Move the coin back and forth along the string to change the pitch. Moving the cabaça away from or toward the body creates a sound similar to a "wah."

Parts and accessories of the berimbau:
– Verga: The wooden bow that forms the main body of the berimbau.
– Arame: The steel string stretched across the verga.
– Cabaça: A dried, hollowed fruit attached to the bottom of the berimbau. It amplifies and resonates the sound.

Although called a gourd in Brazil, the cabaça is not a true gourd (from the Cucurbitaceae family). It is the fruit of a tree called Crescentia cujete (from the Bignoniaceae family), known in Brazil as calabaça, cueira, cuia, or cabaceira.

• Pedra or Dobrão: A small stone or coin used to adjust the pitch of the berimbau.
• Baqueta: A stick used to strike the steel string and create sound.
• Caxixi: A small shaker that may be played with the baqueta.

Capoeiristas (practitioners of capoeira) classify berimbaus into three types based on sound, not size:
– Gunga (or Berra-boi): Produces the lowest tone.
– Médio (or Viola): Produces a medium tone.
– Viola (or Violinha, if Médio is called Viola): Produces the highest tone.

The quality of the berimbau depends on the wood’s diameter and hardness, as well as the quality of the cabaça, not the length of the verga or the size of the gourd.

Sound

The berimbau, when played for capoeira, produces three main sounds: the open string sound, the high sound, and the buzz sound.

To create the buzz sound, the player holds the gourd closed against their belly and touches the string with the dobrão. This action makes a soft "tch" sound.

For the open string sound, the player strikes the string less than an inch from the gourd. The bow is balanced on the little finger, and the gourd is opened. The open sound can be adjusted by loosening the wire or moving the gourd slightly up or down to find the best sound.

To make the high sound, the bow is held the same way, with the gourd open, and the dobrão is pressed forcefully on the string. This sound has a different tone and quality compared to the low sound. Older recordings and musicians note that the tone difference was about one musical step (from C to D). To achieve this, the bow must be about 4 feet (1.2 m) to 4 feet 2 inches (122 to 127 cm) long, as was common in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, many berimbaus are longer, around 5 feet (150 cm), and tuning options are limited in ensembles.

Other sounds may appear during a performance, but only these three define capoeira’s rhythmic patterns (except for Iuna).

Closing and opening the gourd while the string is vibrating creates a "wah-wah" effect, which depends on the size of the gourd opening. Whether this effect is preferred is debated. Pressing the dobrão after striking the string is a common technique, as is closing the gourd neatly to stop the sound. Some rhythms specifically require the open string sound with the gourd closed. Musicians use any sound they can produce from the string. Striking other parts of the instrument is not usually considered poor practice. As with many aspects of playing the berimbau, the names of techniques vary between teachers and students. Most focus on creating a good sound rather than labeling individual sounds.

The force (speed and emphasis) with which the striker hits the string greatly affects the rhythm’s quality. The open sound is naturally louder, so the other two sounds are softer when struck with the same force. However, the musician can choose which strikes to emphasize. The tone of the sound also changes slightly based on how hard the string is struck, and some advanced rhythms use this variation.

In capoeira music

In capoeira, the berimbau leads the roda, the circle where capoeiristas play the game, and also represents the game itself. The music from the berimbau is mainly rhythmic. Most patterns, or toques, come from one basic structure. Capoeira musicians create many variations of this basic pattern. They name these variations, and when a named variation is played repeatedly, the music is called by that name. Common names include "Angola" and "São Bento Grande." Many people discuss the meanings of these names.

In capoeira Angola, three berimbaus play together. Each berimbau has a role in the roda:

• The gunga plays "Angola" and is usually played by a mestre or the most experienced capoeirista. Depending on the group’s style and the player’s personality, the gunga may improvise or stick to the main rhythm. The person playing the gunga often starts the roda and leads the other instruments. The gunga may also lead the singing, which is easier because the rhythm is simple and has little variation. The gunga is used to signal players to enter the game at the pé-do-berimbau (the foot of the berimbau).
• The médio plays "São Bento Pequeno." For example, while the gunga may play a simple eight-unit pattern like (xxL.H.H.), the médio (or viola) can play a sixteen-unit variation, like (xxL.xLHL|.xL.H.H.). The interaction between the gunga and the médio gives the toque its unique sound. In capoeira Angola, the médio plays a version of the gunga’s melody (Angola toque): (xxL.H…) by reversing it to (xxH.L…) with some improvisation.
• The viola plays "São Bento Grande." It focuses on variations and improvisations. It is often compared to the "lead guitar" in the "bateria" (the group of instruments).

Tuning in capoeira is not strictly defined. The berimbau is a microtonal instrument, meaning it can play tones between standard musical intervals. While it can be tuned to sound like a major or minor second, the actual tone is approximately a neutral second, which lies between a whole tone and a half tone.

Berimbaus may be tuned to the same pitch, differing only in sound. More commonly, the low note of the médio is tuned to match the high note of the gunga, and the viola is tuned to match the médio. Some groups prefer tuning the instruments in fourths (C, F, B flat) or a triad (C, E, G). Any tuning is acceptable as long as it sounds good to the master.

There are many different rhythms or toques played on the berimbau.

Common toque names include:

• Angola: Rests on the last beat of the basic pattern, leaving (xxL.H…).
• São Bento Pequeno de Angola Invertido: Similar to Angola but with high and low tones reversed (xxH.L…). It is typically played on the médio alongside Angola on the gunga.
• São Bento Grande: Adds an extra hit to São Bento Pequeno, (xxH.L.L…).
• São Bento Grande da Regional (or São Bento Grande de Bimba): An innovation by Mestre Bimba, often played in a two-bar pattern (xxL.xxH.|xxL.L.H…).
• Toque de Iúna: Introduced by Mestre Bimba. (L-L-L-L-L-xxL-L…) (the "-" means touching the dobrão to the arame without hitting).
• Cavalaria: Used in the past to warn capoeiristas about police. (L.xxL.xxL.xxL.H…) is one example; other variations exist.

When writing toques, it is common to begin with the two buzzed tones. However, these are considered pickups to the downbeat and should be written as: xx(L.H…xx).

In a regional setting, São Bento Grande places the main stress or downbeat on the final L, making it sound: (L.xxH.L.|L.xxH.L.L…).

Other toques include:
– Idalina: (L.L.x.H.|xxL.L.H…).
– Amazonas: (xxLLxxLH|xxLLLLLH…).
– Banguela: (xxL.H.H…).
All of these derive from the basic capoeira pattern. The toque called "Santa Maria" is a four-bar version of the corridos "Santa Maria" and "Apanha Laranja no Chão Tico Tico": (xxL.LLL.|xxL.LLH.|xxH.HHH.|xxH.LHL…).

Capoeiristas also play samba, before or after capoeira, using proper toques based on the samba de roda rhythm: (xxH.xxH.xx.H.HH…).

In popular music

• Frank Colón, an American percussionist and composer, is known as "Berimbau Man" in Europe.
• Electronic artist Bibio uses the berimbau in the song "K Is For Kelson," the first single from his 2011 album Mind Bokeh.
• Nana Vasconcelos performs the berimbau and other percussion instruments with modern jazz musicians around the world.
• Max Cavalera, lead singer and guitarist of metal bands Sepultura, Soulfly, and Cavalera Conspiracy, uses the berimbau in several songs.
• Airto Moreira, a Brazilian percussionist, works with many musicians and combines styles from around the world.
• Okay Temiz, a Turkish jazz drummer and percussionist, uses the berimbau in many songs, including the famous "Denizalti Rüzgarlari" from 1975.
• Cut Chemist, a turntablist in groups like Ozomatli and Jurassic 5, uses the berimbau in his single "The Garden."
• The berimbau is used as a drone, along with the surdo, which acts as the "heartbeat," in the TaKeTiNa Rhythm Process. This is a musical and meditative group activity that helps people develop awareness of rhythm.
• Minnesota metal band GRYZOR uses a modern version of the berimbau during their live performances.
• Mauro Refosco, a Brazilian percussionist, plays the berimbau in the live version of the Atoms' song "The Clock."
• Mickey Hart, a percussionist for the Grateful Dead, uses the berimbau in the song "Throwing Stones" and in several of his solo works.
• In David Byrne's American Utopia Broadway musical, percussionists use berimbaus in several songs during the show.
• MC Levin, a Brazilian funk artist, uses the berimbau in his successful hit "Ela Me Falou Que Quer Rave."
• Berimbaucomtudo is the musical project of Brazilian berimbau player Henrique Azul. It focuses on exploring the berimbau beyond capoeira, creating new sounds and styles.

In popular culture

In Tekken 8, the Brazilian capoeira fighter Eddy Gordo is shown playing a berimbau with a caxixi during pre-fight introductions. Eddy also has a customization option that allows the berimbau to be placed on his back.

In Street Fighter 6, the Kenyan capoeira fighter Elena from Street Fighter 6 is shown playing a berimbau on the character select screen. During a match, players can hear the berimbau sound when using a special animation.