The Rebite

Pronounced with a Brazilian accent as "he bee chay" or something similar.

A friend of mine came across a video of a famous Brazilian musician on a Brazilian late night talk show. Anyways, this musician was famous for the pandeiro and gave a demonstration on the show.

Later, the musician being interviewed, pulls out this metal bucket with screws attached to it and starts playing that, which the audience thought was really funny. My friend fell in love with the idea and since I had made him a shekere and had the tools he asked me to give him a hand.

So we used a one gallon paint can which gives a great sound when the bottom is struck, kind of a metallic "prang". I think he's is going to be experimenting with muffling it a bit. The screws give a lovely shaking sound, which changes depending on the direction you shake it.

It was a fun project and ended up really well in a nice little instrument. Kind of a cross between a shekere and a pandeiro. Took about an hour to make and cost less than $10.00. It kind of reminds me of the early metal maracas that Los Munequitos de Matanzas used to use, or some of the funky instruments like car brake drums that they use in Comparsas de Carnaval in Cuba.