Adufe

The adufe is a traditional square tambourine of Moorish origin, which is used in Portugal.cite web |url=http://www.playdrums.com/pdf/roots/3-ROR_Guide-ch1_adufe.pdf |title=Roots of Rhythm - Chapter 1:The "Adufe" from Portugal |accessdate=2008-02-13 |work=Roots of Rhythm ]

History

A Portuguese percussion instrument, it was traditionally used in the Beira and Trás-os-Montes regions. It was also used in many other regions across the Iberian Peninsula, and similar instruments are also found in Northern Africa. Normally used for Christian religious processions it was also used as a musical company for the local festivals or even for the works in the fields. Traditionally, it was only played by women. [cite web |url=http://www.nunocristo.com/adufe.html |title=Adufe |accessdate=2008-02-13 |last=Christo |first=Nuno ] However it was also played by men in several occasions, though not in religious festivities.

Features

This instrument is composed by a squared structure in wood, generally pine, over which it is mounted a goat skin. This is stitched on the sides, with the stitches covered by a coloured ribbon. In the interior cereal seeds or small stones are placed to make the sound of the adufe. It is a square or rectangular pine frame drum from 12 to 22 inches on a side and around and 1 to 2 inches thick. It is completely handmade, from the treatment of the goat skins to the construction of the wood base and fixation of the skin.

ee also

*Daf
*Pandeiro

References