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the repinique or repique

(deep steel or aluminum (sometimes painted or chromed) cylindrical Drum, with double plastic skin, from 8 to 12 " diameter, played with one stick and a bare hand or two sticks, in samba-reggae).

The repinique (also called "repique") is a medium size drum, usually played by the head of the batucada ("mestre de bateria"). This is traditionally the one who plays starting and stopping figures ("calls") and converses with the whole band in unison during the breaks ("paradinhas"), and performs improvised solos.

Some batucadas have an entire section of repeniques, which then provide a continuous flow of sixteenth notes (semiquavers). The striking techniques, sophisticated, use the rebound, double rebound, rim-shot, the slap, and the resonant hand stroke ("open tone"), mixing virtuoso techniques of the European playing with sticks (military drum) and African hand drum playing (djembe, congas, etc.).

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The mix of hand and stick playing is found, among others, in the "Sabar" instrument of Senegal, with a wooden shell (see Doudou N'Diaye Rose).

The double-rebound, specific technique of this instrument has certainly inspired the first Bebop drummers like Max Roach or Art Blakey (to play a chabada in a "fast-bop" tempo), in the fifties, who also initiated "Latin jazz" and the adaptation of Latin percussion on drums.

Hear the repinique basic samba pattern (with one stick)

In samba-reggae, accented strokes are usually played with ambidexterity, with two sticks playing rim-shots.

repinique samba-reggae basic pattern with two sticks

Marc De Douvan, October 2005, translation in English: May 2013.