Nine musical instruments of samba, including the pandeiro, tamtam, cuíca, and tamborim, have been recognized as expressions of national culture throughout Brazilian territory. The law that formalizes this decision was sanctioned by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and published in the Diário Oficial da União.
Also recognized as cultural practices and traditions are the ways of making the musical instruments.
Among the nine instruments known in samba circles and schools are also the surdo, rebolo, frigideira, timba, and repique de mão.
According to the law, all instruments must be designated as expressions of national culture when they follow the cultural practices and traditions associated with them in their respective modes of production. The forms and modes of production of the musical instruments will be detailed in a decree.
Master percussionist Jackie Cunha, 32, from São Paulo, knows how to play these instruments, except for the cuíca. She recounts that she began learning about the instruments as a child, taken by her mother to samba circles in São Paulo. By the age of seven, she was already playing her first pandeiro.
For the percussionist, the official recognition of samba instruments should be celebrated, even if it is late.
“The importance is gigantic. You find surdo, caixa, tamborim, and pandeiro in various rhythms, besides samba, for bringing this sound, this richness of details, this sonic richness,” she said.
Percussionist Glauber Marques is the third generation of cuíca players in his family. He learned to play the instrument from his grandfather, a batuqueiro, at one of the most traditional samba schools in São Paulo: Nenê de Vila Matilde.
“The soul of samba is the instrument, the heart of the batucada, the manifestation is in the batuque, in the sound. Without an instrument, there is no samba. The cuíca, as my grandfather used to say, is the most cunning instrument; it cries and laughs at the same time,” he shares.
Master of drums Rafa understands samba instruments well. Under her command are 172 rhythmists from the samba school Imperatriz da Pauliceia. In 2015, she became the first woman to lead a samba school drum section in São Paulo.
For Rafa, even with different tunings and melodic tempos, whether in a samba circle or in a school drum section during carnival, the musical instruments give body and soul to samba.
Source: Agência Brasil