Izzo stainless steel cuica

Introducing the Izzo stainless steel cuica

The 'cuica' is a Brazilian friction drum. An instrument which is rather unique in that it has a large pitch range controlled by the player via a large stick fixed to the centre of the drum head. The stick is rosined and rubbed with a damp cloth - this produces the sound - whilst the players other hand applies pressure to the drum head in order to change the pitch It is a comparatively small drum, especially when compared to the more common Surdo found in samba groups but is lightweight and easy to carry.

Made with a sturdy stainless steel shell and chrome plated hardware, this cuica is built to last, perfect for heavy use in samba.

The Izzo brand - authentic but affordable

The Izzo brand represents authentic Brazilian percussion and is widely regarded as one of the top instrument manufacturers in Brazilian Samba. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Izzo have been producing a wide range of high quality instruments for over 60 years, and we are proud to say we are the sole importers of Izzo products.

Samba instrument care and maintenance

Izzo manufacture quality, authentic Brazilian samba drums and percussion which they have been doing for over 60 years. Their products are hugely popular in schools, colleges and with performing samba ensembles the world over. With the correct care and attention, these instruments should provide musical satisfaction and energetic performances for many years. Here are just a few tips to keep your samba gear in optimal condition.

Before and after playing

We recommend wiping the drums and beaters down with a damp cloth, as well as inspecting the tuning adjusters on each drum to check for any loose nuts. As a part of this process, you can also monitor the tension of the heads. If you find that an adjuster has come loose or a head seems slack, loosen off the entire head to thumb-tight and then re-tune using the included mini spanner. The best way to do this evenly is to tune opposite pairs, and the following diagram will give you the correct order in which to tune various sizes of surdo, caixa, repinique and tamborim:

The schematic above demonstrates the correct order for tightening the nuts onto the hooks of a Surdo. This way the tension is spread most evenly. Start with all the nuts just finger tight and then tighten each nut in turn by half a turn (starting with nut number 1, then 2, then 3 etc.). When you've tightened all the nuts, check the tuning. If a higher pitch is needed, repeat the process (again starting with nut number 1) by a quarter turn at a time and carry on until you're happy with the sound.

When tuning a set of three surdos (14", 16" and 18") start with the 18" and tighten it until the sound is nicely resonant (not "flat"). The tune the 16" until the pitch is higher than the 18". Finally tune the 14", again to a higher pitch than the 16".

If you're tuning more than one surdo of each size, tune all the 18" first, then all the 16" etc. Use the same order for tightening the nuts on the Caxia, Repeniques and Tamborims.