The thing on the stick

In case you wondering what a berimbau it, here's a photo of mine. Or part of it at least, the stick is about 6 feet long and completely covered in beautiful woodburned designs and symbols. Mine was made for me by my professor (Graveto, see video below) and is a sweet and beautiful thing with a lovely voice. I have a long looooong way to go before I can play it well though...it doesn't sing for me yet.

Berimbaus are the main instrument that run a capoeira roda. They stem from traditional African instruments, but are now specifically tailored for capoeira music.

Here's a clip of a slow, light-hearted game to give you an idea of the sound and the look of capoeira angola.