Cuíca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cuíca [ˈkʷi kɐ] (pronounced KWEE-kah) is a Brazilian friction drum often used in samba music. The tone it produces has a high-pitched squeaky timbre. It has been called a 'laughing gourd' due to this sound.
The body of the cuíca is normally made of metal. It has a single head, normally six to ten inches in diameter (15-25 cm), made of animal skin. A thin bamboo stick is attached to the centre of, and perpendicular to, the drum head, stretching into the drum's interior. The instrument is held under one arm at chest height with the help of a shoulder strap. To play the cuíca, the musician rubs the stick up and down with a wet cloth held in one hand, using the thumb of the other hand to press down on the skin of the drum near the place where the stick is attached. The rubbing motion produces the sound and the pitch is increased or decreased by changing the pressure on the thumb.
The cuíca plays an important rhythmic role in samba music of all kinds. It is particularly notable as a fixture of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival groups, which feature entire sections of cuíca players. It is so commonly used in radio-oriented samba music that in the absence of a cuíca player, Brazilian singers or other musicians imitate the sound of the cuíca with their voices. An example of this imitation can be heard on the intro part of Dizzy Gillespie's version of Chega de Saudade (from the celebrated "On The French Riviera" album) composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Examples of the cuíca in popular music include:
- Johnny Mandel's "Suicide Is Painless" (from the M*A*S*H film)
- Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
- Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Could You Be Loved"
- The Millennium's "To Claudia On Thursday"
- Beck's "Tropicalia" on the album Mutations and "High Five (Rock The Catskills)" on the album Odelay, starting at 2:10 and finishing at 2:30
- Barenaked Ladies' "Enid"
- Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved"
- Ani DiFranco's "Pick Yer Nose" from the album Puddle Dive
- Fishbone's "The Warmth of Your Breath" on the album Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe
- Jamiroquai's "Music of the Mind" from the album Emergency on Planet Earth
- Miles Davis's later work, such as the Black Beauty: Live at the Fillmore West , Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East , Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It's About That Time album and played by Airto Moreira track "Feio" on the Bitches Brew CD reissue.
- Dido's "Thank You"
- Gruff Rhys's "Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru" from the album Candylion
- David Byrne's "Office Cowboy" from the album "Rei Momo"
- Stevie Wonder's "Bird Of Beauty" from the album "Fulfillingness' First Finale"
- Marvin Gaye's "Come Live With Me Angel" from the album "I Want You"
- Baden Powell de Aquino's live rendition of "Tristeza" from the documentary Canto on Guitar
- McCoy Tyner's Atlantis album on several songs
- Smoke City's Underwater Love from the album "Flying Away"
- Kylie Minogue's "Sensitized" from the album "X"
- Nick Cave's "Moonland" from the album "Dig Lazarus Dig"
- Seu Jorge's "Convite Para Vida" performed for the soundtrack of the movie "City of God (film)."
- Jorge Ben uses the cuíca in many of his songs.
- Os Mutantes often used the cuíca in their music.
- Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade's Whamola, from the album Purple Onion
- Red Hot Chili Peppers Walkabout, from the album One Hot Minute
- Quincy Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova"
