(headline image: Berimbau)
The berimbau is a single-stringed musical bow that functions as both instrument and cultural emblem. Though now most closely associated with Brazil, its origins trace back to Angola, where similar musical bows such as the mbulumbumba are still used.
The berimbau took root in Brazil through the transatlantic slave trade, where it became central to capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that integrates music, ritual, and movement. By the early 20th century, the berimbau had overtaken the drum as the primary instrument for capoeira accompaniment, particularly in the state of Bahia. Its adoption was initially restricted to Afro-Brazilian communities but expanded following the national and international popularization of capoeira in the mid-20th century.
Structurally, the berimbau consists of three essential components: a curved wooden bow (verga), a steel string (arame), and a resonating chamber made from a dried, hollowed fruit commonly referred to as a cabaça. Despite its name, the cabaça is not a true gourd from the Cucurbitaceae family; instead, it is the fruit of Crescentia cujete, a tree native to the Americas. This distinction, while often overlooked, highlights the hybrid botanical history embedded in the instrument.
Performance technique requires dexterity and coordination. The player holds the berimbau in one hand, supporting it against the abdomen with the cabaça facing inward. A small stone or coin (pedra or dobrão) is used to press the arame, modulating pitch. In the opposite hand, the player strikes the string with a thin stick (baqueta) and may also shake a small basket rattle (caxixi) for rhythmic support. Altering the distance between the cabaça and the abdomen produces a dynamic, wah-like tonal shift.
Berimbau performance yields three basic sounds foundational to capoeira’s rhythmic language: an open string tone, a high pressed tone, and a buzz or muted tone. Each is produced through subtle changes in pressure, placement, and hand positioning. Though other variations exist, these three define capoeira’s call-and-response frameworks, excluding the distinctive Iúna rhythm used in ceremonial contexts.
Capoeiristas identify three categories of berimbau based on tonal range: gunga (lowest), médio (middle), and viola (highest). These distinctions refer to sound rather than physical dimensions. The quality of tone depends less on the size of the instrument than on the density and elasticity of the verga and the acoustic properties of the cabaça.
By the 1950s, Brazilian artisans began painting berimbaus in bright colors, a practice that later gave way to more subdued finishes marketed as “authentic” for tourists. Despite this aesthetic evolution, construction methods and performance practices have remained largely intact.
Beyond capoeira, the berimbau has appeared in recordings by Brazilian and diasporic artists who helped amplify its cultural reach. Figures such as Naná Vasconcelos, Astrud Gilberto, Baden Powell, Mestre Paulinho Carioca, Jorge Ben, Mestre Lourimbau, Wilson Das Neves, and Airto Moreira incorporated the instrument into jazz, samba, and experimental contexts.
The berimbau endures not only as a musical tool but also as a symbol of cultural resistance and continuity, linking Africa and the Americas through rhythm, memory, and embodied history.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.