Gope Brazilian Samba Percussion |
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| Back in the early 90's I spent a day in Lincoln at an event called "A Forest of Samba". It involved around six samba bands along with many individuals playing through the streets, whipping up a veritable samba storm as they went, along with dancers in traditional Brazilian costume. It was a great event to witness and was my first experience of the totally infectious rhythms that constitute samba. You hear samba and you tap you feet and generally twitch to the beat - if you've an ounce of rhythm in your body it is impossible not to! Back then there were apparently around 10 samba bands in the UK - today there are well over 100 so it seems in the intervening years its popularity has increased - which is possibly one reason why Soar valley Music currently imports some of the best samba instruments made by Gope directly from Brazil into the UK. | |
| What joy then when a goodly selection of these instruments lands on my doorstep! At last I can recreate that heady day in Lincoln. Alas though with samba you really do need a band - solo samba is just not a viable proposition! A samba band you see consists of many constituent parts that work together to make up the complete samba sound. Oh well I would just have to imagine myself a part of such a band as I try out this kit. What we have here are 2 Surdo drums (18" x 30cm and 14" x 50cm), 1 Repinique (10" x 30cm), 1 Samba Snare (or Caixa - 12" x 20"), 2 Tamborims (6"), Agogo Bells and various Ganzas (tube shakers) and beaters. The Repinique drum player is used in
samba as a kind of conductor for the rest of the band, setting the correct
tempo and rhythm for the entrance of the other instruments. Again, it
is played
Which brings us to the agogo bells and other assorted shaky things. What can you say about agogo bells really? These certainly do agogo nicely with a satisfyingly clear ringing tone and since they are made of metal should give years of service. We have several sizes of tube shakers (or Ganzas) and again they do the job required in a suitably shaky way, and are made of a sturdy looking, chrome finish metal. This Gope samba kit is the real McCoy
coming as it does directly from Brazil. It is also Distributed by: Web Links: |
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The large surdo drum supplies the heartbeat for the overall
samba sound, forming a basis for the other instruments to build on.
It is normally held by a strap around your neck but as I didn't receive
one with the kit I had to improvise somewhat by balancing the drum on
its edge and holding the rim with one hand while striking it with the
supplied fluffy puff mallet. Not a great situation because playing the
surdo correctly involves using both hands - one to strike the drum and
the other to dampen the drumhead. I must say the surdo drum does look
a bit like a large baked bean tin with the label removed being essentially
an aluminium cylinder with ridges around its girth. It is a very simple
construction with basic lugs and tensioning rods and plastic rims, and
I wonder how much punishment those rims could take without cracking
or breaking? However, as my brief is not to "test to destruction" I
am not able to give you an answer on that. What I can tell you though
that these is one soulful baked bin tin that easily produces the necessary
deep, sonorous sound required to supply the sexy samba pulse. It also
came safely ensconced in a strapped and padded bag that should provide
basic protection against knocks and which also features a pocket for
beaters and straps and stuff. Cushty.
with
one stick whilst the other hand dampens the skin. The Repinique's drum
head is kept very taught and the sound is almost like the sound of timbales.
The samba snare, or Caixa, is like a Repinique but shallower and with
a simple 4 strand snare which actually appears to be a metal guitar
string but which adds a distinctive "snare" sound to this again tightly-headed
drum which is generally played with two sticks in a traditional "marching
snare drum player" manner. These instruments do seem rather basic in
construction, which I guess also means they look and feel authentic.
Besides, I play in a medieval music band on occasion and after beating
on what essentially are wooden fruit bowls with goats skins stretched
across these Gope instruments seem positively the apex of sophistication!
Tamborims
are small 6 inch drums which are like small tambourines but without
the jingles, and which are struck using a distinctive 2 or 3 pronged
beater with one hand while the other dampens and tightens the drum head
to achieve higher and lower sounds. The instruments seem sturdy enough
but the plastic beaters look like they could easily snap should your
tamboriming become too exuberant.
reasonably priced and should therefore be within the budget
of anyone who fancies giving samba a go. Soar Valley also supplies Samba
Packs comprising of all the instruments you need for a complete samba
sound. If you do fancy trying your hand at samba then I would recommend
joining a samba band or school as this music really does require several
players, and there are specific techniques to be learned to get the
best out of the instruments. Check out the websites listed below for
more information on Gope Samba Percussion and on samba in general, and
wake me up before you agogo!