by Berimbau » Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:42 am
Dear Tablaji,
Unfortunately there is a real serious lack of how to information on the berimbau in English. With the exception of Kay Shaffer's dissertation, most of the Portuguese sources feature poor transcriptions at best. Now in the second addition of his Capoeira: A Brazilian Art Form (Berkeley:North Atlantic Books 1986), Bira Almeida reprints some of Kay's toques.
A bilingual Portuguese/English resource is A Percussao Dos Ritmos Brasileiros Volume 1 Berimbau (Edicao Europa1990) by Luiz Almeida Da Anunciacao.
Now I was fortunate enough to study with Nana Vasconcelos when we were both living in NYC and I have transcriptions of some of his innovative rhythms. I have also authored a number of journal articles on the berimbau's history and development You may e-mail me if you want to dig a little deeper.
Saludos,
Berimbau
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