Samba Glossary of Terms
This is a glossary of just some very basic terms, and is far from an exhaustive guide. If you want to know more about Brazilian culture, check out our links page.
alfaia
A bass drum, similar to a surdo, used in maracatu and forró music around Recife. Alfaias are wooden barrel drums with two cowhide heads and rope tuning. They are played with two thick, contoured wooden sticks.
afoxê (a-fo-shey)
Carnival groups in Bahia that feature elements associated with Candomblé rites. Their members wear African-inspired dresses and parade by singing and dancing on the 'ijexá' rhythm. Their Nagô-language songs salute and praise orixás. Afoxês, which first ca
agogô (ah-go-go)
Afro-Brazilian double bells struck with a stick.
atabaque: (a-ta-ba-kay)
Cylindrical drum with one head.
baião (bye-yow)
Popular rhythm from north-eastern Brazil.
barravento (bah ha ven tu)
A rhythm and dance from the Afro Brazilian religious tradition Candomble' de Angola. It is an up tempo 12 beat rhythm played on 3 hand drums and a bell that is used to put a dancer in trance. The name means 'wind comes down', perhaps in reference to how i
bateria
The percussion section of a escolha do samba (samba school)
batucada ( ba/tu/ka/da)
A style of parade music made famous by the Escolas de Samba of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Instrumentation includes large bass drums, snare drums, tenor drums, bells, tamborines, shakers, friction drums and small high pitched stick drums which play the rhythm
berimbau (bee-rim-bau)
A Brazilian instrument of African origin which looks like a bow and arrow with a gourd attached for resonance. The arrow is the stick which strikes the metal string of the bow - a stone is held in the left hand against the string and the right hand holds
bloco afro
An organization of people centered around the performance of afro-based Brazilian rhythms and celebration of black or African culture. Often extends out into a community largely of African descendants. Most often associated with Bahia.
bumba-meu-boi
A traditional dance and pageant in northeastern Brazil, in which the townsfolk take part.
caixa de guerra
Snare drum, sometimes known as a malacacheta
candomble
Afro-Brazilian religous cult.
capoeira
Martial art / dance of african origin
caxixi (ka-she-she)
Small basket shaker.
centrador
The third surdo. Also know as "corte"
chocalho
A type of shaker using small cymbals (very loud)
clave
A two-measure rhythmic pattern, consisting of five notes, which is the rhythmic basis of much Afro-Cuban, Antillian, and Brazilian music. There are various clave rhythms for different kinds of Cuban, Brazilian, and West African Music.
coco (ko/ko)
A popular round dance originating from Alagoas (Nordeste).
cuíca
A small to medium sized drum with a thin rod attached to the drum skin on the inside. The rod is rubbed with a wet flap to create a variety of squeaking sounds. It is predominantly used to play syncopated rhythms in sambas.
escolha do samba
Samba School. In Rio and Sao Paulo an association of people from the same neighborhood, usually a working class community (or favela) in a suburban area. They get together on a regular basis for rehearsals and samba nights. When parading at carnaval samba
frêvo (frey/voh)
A carnaval dance from Recife, Pernambuco. Musically the frêvo is in the form of a march but is distinguished by its characteristic fast syncopation.
fundo
Marcação part in samba-reggae and other bloco afro rhythms.
ganzá (gan-zah)
Cylindrical shaker.
jongo (jong/go)
A form of samba in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo.
maracatu
Procession and accompanying music style from Pernambuco in the north of Brazil
marcação (or marcão/marcador)
* The surdo drum playing a marking beat in samba, also know as primeira (1st). * The marking beat pattern of a samba. * A time-inart of a samba rhythm.
pandeiro (pan-day-rro)
Brazilian medium-sized tambourine with jingles.
reco-reco (heku-heku)
Brazilian cylindrical scraper.
repinique / repique
Created by samba schools to make a high, piercing sound. It is also used as a calling (lead) and solo instrument in the samba school bateria. In samba it is played with a stick in the right hand, with the left hand beating counterpoint directly on the dru
reposta
"Answering" The first beat of a 2/4 samba rhythm. Also, marcação segunda. Answers the corte.
samba (san-ba)
Popular dance and rhythm all over Brazil. The term originates from semba, an African word for navel. Traditionally a circle is made with a solo dancer in the centre. In the samba's rhythm there is a syncopated note which is the cue for the soloist to touc
samba reggae
A hybrid of samba, reggae, and West African rhythms. Mestre Neguinho do Samba of the Salvadoran group, Olodum, is credited with developing this style.
sambista
Any performer of samba music or dance. Can also refer specifically refer to female dancers, also known as passistas.
surdo (suer-du)
Brazilian bass drum; referred to as the heart beat of the samba. The Bahia-style drum is of shallower construction than a Rio-style surdo. The head diameter is generally greater than the depth of the shell.
tamborim (tan-boo-reen)
Brazilian small metal tambourine with no jingles.
tarol
A type of snare drum
timbau / timba
A large standing drum played with the hands, as is common in the Caribbean and Africa.
