The berimbau or birimbao is an acoustic musical instrument of African origin, specifically from the regions of Angola, where it has other tribal names.

Its fame is linked to its widespread use in street music, particularly in Brazil, where it was brought by African slaves.

It is used as an accompaniment for singing in some traditions but owes much of its popularity to its role as a rhythmic element for the capoeira fighting style. In Portugal, it is known as “berimbao de peito”, while in Angola its most common local name is hungu.

In reality, since the spread of this musical instrument is very broad, it is not easy to find a single denomination or trace its real origin. It seems to have emerged as a necessary step in the development of resonating-stringed instruments and derived from the hunting bow.

It spread rapidly across urban and rural areas of Brazil, with many local variations. In fact, in the interior regions of this state, it is called by many different local names, often linked to construction and usage variations.

To mention the most common ones: arco musical, aricongo, berimbau metalizado, bucumbumba, ricungo, bucumbunga, gobo, gunga, oricungo, orucungo, macungo, mutungo, matungo, urucurgo, rucumbo, urucungo, uricungo, rucungo, and marimbau.

How the Berimbau is Made

Its construction is very simple because it is a poor instrument that can be handmade with materials commonly found in rural areas.

It consists of a flexible wooden bow, about 1.50 meters long, but much longer instruments can also be created, with a steel string that connects both ends.

The attachment is similar to that of a bow, and there are no keys or pedals to tune it. To amplify the sound, a rudimentary resonating body is added, which in favelas is sometimes made from a plastic or tin can, but traditionally it is a kind of dried and brightly painted gourd.

In the classic versions of the berimbau, the resonating body is prepared using cabaçeira, the fruit of a plant that visually resembles a gourd, although it belongs to a different family.

Once dried and properly processed, this helps amplify the sound, which is very characteristic and poor, indicating that this instrument comes from the tradition of the lower classes in Brazilian countryside and from ancient tribal Africa.

The berimbau is held with the left hand, and its pitch is variable, as is the timbre of the sound. This is achieved by placing a stone or coin on the string while the right hand strikes and makes it vibrate using a wooden stick.

Traditions of the Berimbau

This instrument is actually very ancient, as its appearance in traditions can be traced back to around 1500 BC and is extremely primitive, although the technique acquired through playing it can be quite interesting, especially in societies that are familiar with polyrhythm.

Similar versions can be found in many African cultures, in Patagonia, Mexico, and in ancient civilizations of the Middle East, such as the Assyrian, Persian, Phoenician, and Egyptian civilizations.

In Brazil, it appeared thanks to Angolan slaves, who used it as the foundation for their fighting discipline, which would later give rise to capoeira.

In fact, the rhythm of the berimbau is the one that must be followed by fighters during the matches, masking behind the choreography of a dance, as it was forbidden for slaves to practice martial arts.

It was later reclaimed as an instrument in many musical genres, particularly Brazilian ones but not only. To name a few examples, we find Vinicius de Moraes’s afrosamba and the one by Baden Powell, and the berimbau even appears in some heavy metal tracks by Sepultura.

In the capoeira environment, the berimbau is held in the highest regard, and for some, it is even a sacred instrument. Athletes move to its rhythm, and depending on the style of the encounter, there are different names for the performances, such as Sao Bento Grande or Angola.

It is worth delving into its use in capoeira, where we often find three berimbaus played together with different rhythmic roles, each of which animates a specific aspect of the encounter.

The Berra-boi is usually the first one to start, and the rhythm must not be improvised, as it must provide the timing for the encounter and lead the other two instruments, as well as indicate to the players the Pé do Berimbau, or the invitation to present themselves.

O Medio, also known as viola, completes the rhythm of the Berra-Boi and serves to characterize the style with a maximum of 16 tones, while the main one is limited to 8.

O Violinha, on the other hand, has the right to improvise with a high and shrill tone and follows the encounter more closely. It does not control it, but rather highlights the climactic moments and excites the audience.

The quality of the berimbau is a fusion of the flexibility and elasticity of the bow and the timbre of the cabaça, and not so much of their size, since it was often made with whatever was available in the countryside.

Execution Styles with the Berimbau in Capoeira

In capoeira performances, the berimbau follows more or less formalized styles, although they all derive from oral traditions and direct experience, since it is an untuned instrument that cannot be finely tuned or transcribed for reproducibility.

• Angola: In this style, the last touch of the basic sequence is not made.

• Sao Bento Pequeno: It features the inversion of the low and high tones and is quite similar to Angola. It is played with the medium berimbau on an Angola base performed by the Berra-Boi.

• Sao Bento Grande de Angola: To follow this rhythm, an additional touch is added compared to Sao Bento Pequeno.

• Cavalaria: It was a style used in the past when capoeira was illegal. It was used to warn participants about the arrival of the police. Its name means Cavalry, referring to guards on horseback.

How the Berimbau is Played in Capoeira

This instrument is not particularly formal, but in capoeira, there are rules that must be followed to favor the type of encounters.

The berimbau must be held with one hand at the height of the cabaça, without blocking it, to allow for good resonance of the notes. The hand must also hold the coin or stone that is used to vary the tones of the instrument.

In fact, the string must be pressed to access the full sound spectrum and modify the sound. The cabaça must be positioned at the player’s abdomen and moved closer or farther from the body depending on the performance.

The resonating body is indeed empty and open. It is the occlusion toward the chest that opens and closes the sound, so during performances, the musician must continuously move the instrument to follow the rhythm, adding the necessary liveliness.

Finally, the string is made to vibrate with the free hand using the stick to strike it. If desired, a second instrument can be added, which is held with the hand that strikes.

This is the caxixi, a kind of rattle made from straw, containing pebbles, seeds, or rice inside. It is used to complement the sound capabilities of the cabaça.