# what is that monkey sound in brazilian pop?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 25, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568 "2009-05-25T14:52:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568/1 "2009-05-25T14:52:21Z")

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I’ve been wondering about this for a long time.

In brazilian pop, for example tropicalia and bossa, there are sometime these monkey like-sounds. I assume it’s a funny instrument, but I have no idea what.  
I have a sound example of it. Typically enough, it’s not brazilian, but it’s the very same sound I’m speaking of:

[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-nY0wPN8j0)

You can hear it clearly at 0:02 and 0:06.  
Also, if you have songs that feature this sound, please share!

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**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568/2 "2009-05-25T14:54:39Z")

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It’s a [Cuíca](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu%C3%ADca), I think.

On closer listening, I’m starting to think it may be an ocarina, a type of recorder-like flute…

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**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568/3 "2009-05-25T15:03:18Z")

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Actually, cuica might be right, because I hear the sound in the songs mentioned in your wikipedia article.

Though it seems insane that a \*drum \*can sound like that. I would’ve guessed it was some kind of flute.

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**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568/4 "2009-05-25T15:09:19Z")

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Here it is in action:

[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBfddHxQ9YU)

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Tqh2wWIMDAA/hqdefault.jpg "Carlinhos da Cuíca") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqh2wWIMDAA)

It’s insane. I must own one.

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-monkey-sound-in-brazilian-pop/497568/5 "2009-05-25T17:21:01Z")

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Too late to answer, but I think it’s funny that I knew exactly what you meant by “monkey sound” in the thread title.