M-Audio Wizoo Latigo [26/34] The instruments

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The Instruments

Agogos

Agogos are a hand held pair of small high-pitched bells and come in

various shapes and forms. Made from iron or steel (although occasionally

from wood) they always consist of two or more tones. Modern versions often

come as a set of three, to be mounted on a stand. Usually tuned a small

interval apart, such as a second or minor third, Agogos are struck with a

wooden stick or piece of iron and are linked together via a ﬂexible U-shaped

neck, allowing the player to squash the two bells together to play ghost

notes in between.

Bombo

The Bombo (or Bomba) is a large barrel-shaped drum, the largest of the two-

headed drums in Brazil and is traditionally made of a hollowed tree trunk,

covered with animal skins. It can be played resting on a stand or attached

to a strap hung around the body and is played with a mallet or the hands.

The drumheads of these bass drums still have the animal hairs on them to

mufﬂe the sound.

Bongos

A pair of small single headed wooden hand drums yoked together Bongos

are usually held between the knees and played in a sitting position. Typically

these high-pitched drums are about 6 and 8 inches in diameter and six

inches tall, the high-pitched drum is the Hembra (meaning female), the low-

pitched drum is the Macho (male). Bongos are typically tuned at an interval

of a fourth and are played with a combination of ﬁnger and open hand

techniques.

Cabasa

The Cabasa is a South American rattle consisting of loops of steel ball chain

wrapped around a stainless steel cylinder, ﬁxed to a long, narrow wooden

or plastic handle. The player twists the Cabasa handle to produce the

characteristic bright ‘scraping’ sound.

Caxixi

The Caxixi is a small woven basket shaker from Brazil with a ﬂat hard

(traditionally gourd) bottom. Filled with seeds or seashells it is derived from

Ghanaian Ashanti shakers.