Wordnik Word of the Day for November 15, 2018

berimbau



A musical instrument, consisting of a gourd (as resonator) and a single wire stretched along a pole, used in Brazil.

The Brazilian martial art capoeira combines dance, music, high kicks and leg sweeps and is performed in a circle known as a roda, to the music of a single-stringed instrument called a berimbau and hand-claps.


Week in Words

In these capoeira circles, at least one person plays a single-stringed instrument called a berimbau, and another beats on drums while the crowd chants and claps.

Fighting the Fun Fight

I also own a stylophone, a berimbau and a zither, none of which I can play convincingly.
Friday Open Thread

Over the past decade Rio's Lucas Santtana has been one of Brazil's most adventurous musicians, allowing his powerful love for samba and bossa nova to lead him into all kinds of unexpected territory, from funk (covering James Brown's "Doin 'It to Death" with lead berimbau) to heavy, spaced-out dub.
Chicago Reader

In another case, the driver had a homemade berimbau in the passenger seat which launched a lively discussion of musical instruments.

Kids Prefer Cheese

The word 'berimbau' comes from Portuguese.