Music

Instruments

Afoxé

The afoxé is a traditional Brazilian instrument and is from African origin. This Afro-Brazilian musical instrument consists of a gourd wrapped in a net in which beads or small plastic balls are threaded. The instrument is shaken to create its unique musical sound.

 

Agogô

An agogô is of African origin and contains single or multiple bells. It’s traditionally used in samba percussion ensembles. The agogô has the highest pitch of any of the samba percussion instruments and is the oldest musical instrument used in samba music.

Atabaque

Atabaque is a musical instrument of percussion. This Brazilian musical instrument is made out of wood called Jacaranda from Brazil and the top is covered with leather. Atabaque is a hand drum that is used in many religious styles of music. To play it you need to use both hands or two drum sticks. It is used play in Brazilian rhythms, such as the samba.

Berimbau

Berimbau is a musical bow that is a single-stringed instrument. It produces an unique twang sound and is the main instrument of the traditional capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art form. It is used to establish the rhythm of capoeira.

 

Pandeiro

Pandeiro is a Brazilian musical instrument that derived from Portugal. It is similar to a tambourine, but more complex. The tension of the head can be turned, giving the player a choice of high and low notes. Also, the metal jingles are cupped. Pandeiro is usually played in the carnaval to play samba music and has been described as an unofficial instrument of Brazil.

Reco-reco

Reco-reco is a Brazilian percussion instrument consisting of a ridged bamboo cane that is scraped with a piece of wood or metal. The rubbing of a stick on the grooves produces a scratching sound. Nowadays, a Reco-reco is mostly made of metal.

Ganzá

Ganzá is a Brazilian instrument that is similar to a rattle and used in samba and other Brazilian rhythms as a percussion instrument. The ganzá is shaped like a cylinder that is made out of a hand-woven basket or a metal or plastic tube which is filled with beads, pebbles, metal balls, or other similar items. The length of the tube can vary of fifteen to more than 50 cm.

 

Repinique

Repinique is a Brazilian musical instrument that is made of metal or wood. This Brazilian instrument is like a two headed drum. The repinique is a small drum with skins on both sides that has to be carried with the help of the shoulder and it is played with a drum stick in one of the hands while the other hand plays directly on it. It was created by the samba schools for the carnival.

Shekere/ Xequerê

This musical instrument is from Africa. Xequerê is made of small bottle gourd that grows in fields. The form of the bottle gourd determines the sound of the instrument since every shape is different; the sound that is produced also varies from the musical instrument. In Brazil, this instrument is wrapped in a net. This net consists of little plastic balls that are threaded into the net.

 

Cavaquinho

The cavaquinho is a small type of guitar that is similar to the Hawaiian ukulele. It has four wires or guts strings and is of Portuguese origin. It is a very important instrument in Brazilian music, especially for samba and choro. The Brazilian cavaquinho is different from the Portuguese one in that its neck is elevated in relation to the body, and the sound hole is traditionally round, therefore making it similar to a traditional guitar.

 

 

Music styles

Samba

Samba is one of the most popular forms of music and dance in Brazil. It is viewed as Brazil’s national musical style and a symbol of the Brazilian Carnival.

Samba eventually evolved and today there are many different kinds of samba music and dance.

  

Bossa nova

Bossa nova is a Brazilian music style that evolved from samba. This style of music is often described as a fusion of jazz harmonies and a smoother often slower samba beat.

Bossa nova emerged primarily from the upscale beachside neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Bossa nova first became popular in the 1950s and the development of Bossa nova is largely credited to a couple of artists including Johnny Alf, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto.

 

Música Popular Brasileira

Música Popular Brasileira (Brazilian Popular Music in English) or MPB is a genre that mixes a variety of Brazilian rhythms.

Much of what you hear today in Brazilian music is MPB that mixes a variety of Brazilian rhythms such as Bossa Nova, folk, rock, pop, jazz, and samba. Brazilian Popular Music (MPB) first emerged as a style in 1966, as a second generation to Bossa Nova. It was then influenced by other rhythms, such as rock and samba, combining elements from various cultures.

 

Funk Carioca

Funk Carioca, or simply called “funk” in certain parts of Brazil, is a style of music that originated from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s. Funk Carioca is a type of music and dance that is sort of a mixture of hip-hop, rap, samba and electronic music.

Despite its name, it is different from funk originating in the United States. It was influenced from Miami Bass and Freestyle of the USA and it has evolved into its own unique characteristics.

Some funk carioca music contains sexual and explicit lyrics, and many of the dance moves look very sexual. The term baile funk is used to refer to parties or nightclubs that play funk.

 

Sertanejo

Músicasertaneja or Sertanejo is a type of Brazilian country music. It originally referred to music originating from Sertão. It is one of the most popular music styles in Brazil, being particularly more popular throughout the interior of Brazil.

Sub-genres include Root Sertanejo, Romantic Sertanejo and Sertanejo Universitário. Sertanejo songs have been the most played music genre on Brazilian radio the past few decades, constantly topping the Brazilian music charts.

 

Forro

Forro is a traditional style of music that sounds almost like a mix of polka and country-styled music. It's originated from the North-western part of Brazil in the Sertão region, which is a dry, backwoods cattle country.

 

Short film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stiCVMtET6A