1-DAY WORKSHOP

Workshop Content
This workshop focuses on practical playing experience. Step by step, you’ll learn to distinguish and combine the Berimbau’s basic tones: open (som aberto), buzz/muted with the dobrão lightly touching the arame (som chiado), and the high, closed tone with the dobrão firmly pressed against the wire (som fechado).

We’ll explore how to use the dobrão (stone or coin) and vareta (stick) to shape a strong and healthy sound, and gradually build simple toques into more complex rhythms. The berimbau’s different voices come from the variously sized gourds (gunga, médio, and viola), which serve as resonators and give each instrument its own character. The workshop also covers instrument setup, care, tuning, and proper string tension.

Alongside technique and tone production, we focus on musical understanding: How is groove created? How can dynamics be shaped? How does the berimbau interact with other instruments - both in traditional and modern contexts?

As with all his workshops, Dudu will also share historical and cultural background, helping you understand the instrument’s context and significance, and giving you an authentic connection to its music.

This workshop is open to everyone who wants to explore or deepen their experience with the berimbau, whether you’re a capoeirista, percussionist, or simply curious about new sounds. By the end of the day, you’ll have a solid technical foundation, a sharpened ear for the instrument’s nuances, and the confidence to continue developing your skills independently.

About the berimbau
Originally from Angola, the berimbau became a central part of Afro-Brazilian culture. Today it is one of Brazil’s most symbolic instruments: a tool, a voice, and a symbol of resistance, identity, and the continuity of African traditions in Brazil. In Capoeira, its characteristic rhythms (toques) guide the dialogue of music, movement, and ritual. Over time, the berimbau has also found its place outside Capoeira circles: in percussion ensembles, contemporary music projects, and experimental contexts, where it surprises with new grooves and playing techniques.