Berimbau CDs
The Afro-Brazilian Musical Bow

Rhythms played on the berimbau accompany capoeira,
the Brazilian martial art/dance, and have been featured
in many Brazilian popular songs as well.

Brazilian Berimbaus

Brazilian Music

Berimbau
by Francois Kokelaere

Even though the berimbau is not a well known cultural instrument, it has its deep cultural roots. This single steel bowed instrument is largely connected with the Brazilian fight dance, Capoeria, and is primarily considered a percussion instrument. Francois Kokelaere creates wonderful rhythms and textural tones with the hash sounding instrument. Whether it is the culturally rooted "Santos", the riveting "Babunda Song" or the extended masterpiece, "L'ombre L'a Dit" where he plays with Master 'Sombra'; Kokelaere creates a wonderful album highlighting the great berimbau. Even though those who aren't used to berimbau or cultural music may find "The Art of Berimbau" strange at first, listen carefully and you will hear the art and wonder of the strong instrument. As a player myself, I respect the skill needed to play such an instrument well and with the clear and concise program notes about the composer and the instrument this album is definately a tribute to the strong cultural berimbau. --an Amazon reviewer
 

Berimbau Blues
by Dinho Nascimento
(2004)

Capoeira: Legendary Music Of Brazil (Audio CDl
Guilherme Franco
(1998)

Listening to this music without actually seeing the astounding acrobatics and physical movement of the capoeira martial art form is sort of like listening to a movie soundtrack without the movie: you miss the visual aspect, but it allows you to hear the music more fully. Guilherme Franco plays the Brazilian berimbau, a kind of bow with a metal string that is struck with a stick. The sound is like no other percussion instrument; it buzzes, it sustains, it alters pitch like a bent note on a steel-string guitar. Capoeira is a mix of solo pieces ("Juna," "Juna Verdadeira"), pieces accompanied by other instruments (drums on "Sao Bento Grande" and "My Beat," rattle on "Batida Nova Rapida," and flute on "Juna Ocarina"), and full-out songs. But this catalog only hints at the richness of this recording and of the sound the berimbau makes when Franco's stick strikes the string. --Genevieve Williams
 

Capoeira CDs

Brazilian Berimbaus on sale at Amazon.com