Batuque Cloth-Drum Circle

Beat tight cloth bundles clamped between the thighs in a polyrhythm while a leader sings a call, and answer each phrase with the group's pattern.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of Cape Verde. Some forms of this practice carry deep meaning for the communities who keep it; here we describe the play and the craft only, with respect for its roots.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Africa: Sahel, West and Central.