Description: The birimbau is a monochord or single-stringed chordophone, it’s basically a bow with one string and a gourd attached. A brass ring or a hard-piece of wood or sometimes a shell would be used as a bridge to adjust the tone of the string when being struck with a thin diameter chop-stick like peace of wood. The use of the birimbau is associated with the martial art and dance called "Capoeira". Capoeira is a martial art form concealed in a dance that was used by the slaves as a means of survival back in the colonial times. Similar instruments to the birumbau are found through out Central and South Africa in which the birimbau likely has its origins. Currently the birimbau is making its way through many different communities outside of Brazil and with in the Brazilian diaspora.

Playing Techniques: When the birimbau is played the birimbau is held vertically the birimbau is struck with a small stick only two notes are produced during performance. The birimbau is played by holding the instrument vertically close to the chest while the left hand changes the pitch while right hand strikes the birimbau during performance. The birimbau is used to keep the tempo of a rhythm during capoeria and other dances. Nowadays the birimbau is adopted as a percussion instrument to which it has found its way through jazz, popular, and other forms of world music.

The Caxixi:The caxixi pronounced “ca-chi-chi” is a percussion instrument in which is a small rattle woven from rattan. A bottom surface is added to weight the instrument down a bit for the ease of performance. The "fill" is then added, the fill of the caxixi could be of small pebbles, lead buck shot or anything a bit heavy in weight. Although small in size the fill when filled to the correct ammount the desired percussive sound is acheived. The cacixi maybe played individually or in accompaniment with the birimbau. When the caxixi is played with the birimbau the caxixi is then held together with the birimbau the right hand holds the birimbau the left hand holds the caxixi during the play of the birimbau.

Foot notes: The caxixi was acquired on same date as the Birimbau (came with instrument).

The Anatomy of the Birimbau: The birimbau is constructed from a bow, gourd, string and brass ring or stone.  The string is tied to each end of the birimbau and which the gourd is affixed almost a foot to the top end of the bow. The gourd serves as a resonance chamber. Often bicycle break cable, or steel diameter.

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