ABOUT SAMBA
Samba originates from a Brazilian interpretation of traditional African rhythms. A samba bateria is made up of drummers playing specific rhythms on different instruments, that fuse together to form different songs. In carnival they are often accompanied by dancers in exquisite and elaborate costumes. Samba is commonly known as the traditional sound of Brazilian carnival because it was through carnival that it emerged.
In the UK and NI it is estimated that there are somewhere between 180 and 300 samba related groups, most of which play samba, with a growing number who play and dance samba.
The Drums
The Agogo is made up of two to four small cow bells joined together, and is normally played in a pattern.
The Chocalho (pronounced shi-cal-lio) is made up of lots of small metal disks attached to a stick. It sounds like Santa on a joy ride.
The Tamborim (“Tam”) is the smallest and fastest of the drums. They are not the same as the rubbish tambourines with bells that you played at school. In samba, tams have no bells, and are hit with sticks made up of multiple flexible rods or prongs to produce a high-pitched “crack” that makes up part of the "tune". They are a lot harder to play than they look.
The Repenique (pronounced Hep-a-nee-key) or “heps” look more like drums and produce a sound similar but more mellow and tonal to the Tams. They are normally played with plastic "whippy" sticks. It is usually the heps and tams that produce the “tune”.
The Caixa (ca-sha) or snares, are one of the most difficult to master, but provide the essential feeling of movement within the band.
The Timba
is not seen in all bands, especially smaller ones. They are mid-sized conical
drum played with the hand or hand and light stick and sounds like a cross
between a surdo and a djembe.
The biggest are the Surdo (sir-doo). These big base drums come in three tones and create the underlying beat and rhythm of the music. Also harder to play than they look.
Box of matches - WHAT?!
It is totally in the spirit of samba music to improvise instruments out of whatever you happen to have. When a military junta ran Brazil in the 60s and 70s, street music was frowned on, and sambistas were liable to be arrested. During this time, instruments such as frying pans, table tops, match boxes and clapped hands were widely played as these could be put to more innocent uses if the army showed up. To put it another way - go with what you've got.
If
you can walk you can dance - Zimbabwe proverb