Batucada

Batucada is a substyle of samba and refers to an African influenced Brazilian percussive style, usually performed by an ensemble, known as a Bateria. Batucada is characterized by its repetitive style and fast pace.

Instruments

The wide variety of instruments used in a batucada include:

• repinique, a high-pitched tom-tom played with a single stick and the hand. Traditionally the leader of the ensemble uses the repinique (also referred to as 'repique') to direct and solo.
• surdo, a large drum with an average size of 50 cm in diameter. It provides the downbeat, the bass downbeat of the rhythm. When only one surdo is playing, it accentuates the 2nd and 4th beat of every measure. When a second surdo is playing, it is tuned slightly higher and is played accentuating the first and third beats of the measure.
• tamborim, a small drum usually played with a stick or a multi-pronged plastic beater.
• bells (agogô, bongo, and cowbell)
• Chocalho (Ganzá, Afoxé, and Maracas) shakers of various types and materials.
• caixa, a thin snare drum.
• cuica, a single headed drum with a stick mounted inside the drum body, perpendicular to the head. The instrument is played by rubbing a damp cloth along the length of this stick, while pressing the head of the drum with a finger or thumb. The closer to the stick the finger is pressed, the higher the pitch of the sound is produced. The cuica creates a unique sound, which can sometimes sound like a human voice.
• timbal, a long cone-like drum that is used to produce both high & low tones in the ensemble. It is usually played with hands and creates a similar timbre as the West African Djembé.
• pandeiro, similar to a tambourine and played elaborately with the hand. Unlike the tambourine, the pandeiro can be tuned.
• reco-reco (known in Spanish as the güiro), a usually hollow wooden instrument with a ridged exterior surface that is scraped with a stick.
• apito, a small wooden whistle.

Examples

Songs

The song "The Obvious Child" from Paul Simon's album The Rhythm of the Saints is an example of the sound of the samba-Afro style, exemplified by the Bahian group Olodum.

Also the song "El Matador" from the Argentinian band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is an example of a batucada.

Sérgio Mendes and Brazil '66 not only utilized this sound, but also recorded a song by the same name, written by Marcos Valle.

"Kiss of Life", by British electronica band Friendly Fires also features a batucada background.

The song "Batucada" from the artist Towa Tei performed by Bebel Gilberto combines the style of Batucada with the sound of synthesizers.

The fourth song, "Se É Pra Vir Que Venha", in the song cycle Calling All Dawns by Christopher Tin is an example of a samba batucada.

Famous Performers

• Ara Ketu
• Badauê
• Ilê Aiyê
• Malê Debalê
• Monobloco
• Muzenza
• Olodum
• Trokobloco
• Swing do Pelo
• Timbalada

External links

• SagreSamba Percussió in La Sagrera, Barcelona,Catalonia
• Combe Capelle Batucada Valencia, Spain
• Tropa lo Trop Batucada Alicante, Spain
• Pan de Azucar Batucada Alicante, Spain
• The Best Batucada in El Salvador
• Brasilando.com
• World Samba Home Page
• Tumbata Batucada(Spain)
• Samba in France
• One of the first formal definitions (1997)
• Samba in the USA
• Samba in Israel
• Markatú Batucada in Sitges, Barcelona (Spain)
• Batucada in Madrid (Spain)
• Zacatum Batucada Madrid
• Dautaka Batucada Tenerife, Spain
• Festimbal Batucada Barcelona, Spain
• Escola Popular Neudientendorf, Germany
• Trokobloco Zaragoza, Spain
• Escola Popular Band in Lodz, Poland
• Samb'acho Batucada - Alicante, Spain
• sambaobab - French batucada (samba reggae), near Lyon
• Batucada Catuxap - Tarragona, Spain
• Batukats de l'Ala in Sant boi de Llobregat, Barcelona (Spain)