The cuíca () is a Brazilian friction drum with a large pitch range, produced by changing tension on the head of the drum. Cuíca is Portuguese for the gray four-eyed opossum (Philander opossum) which is known for its high-pitched cry. The cuíca is frequently used in carnivals, as well as often in samba music. The tone it produces has a high-pitched squeaky timbre. It has been called a 'laughing gourd' due to this sound. The General MIDI drum kit provides cuíca sounds at the notes F<sub>5</sub> and G<sub>5</sub>.
thumb|Cuica sound
History
There are a number of styles of found around the globe. Its origins are disputed: Different sources trace it to enslaved Bantu people, with instruments like the pwita/kipuita in Angola, to Spain, and to Muslim traders – structurally it is identical, among other instruments in the same category, to the Portuguese , Spanish , Catalan and Balearic .
Characteristics
Bottom view and stick of a cuíca|thumb|200px|right
The cuíca has a wooden or bamboo stick fastened at one end inside the drum in the center of, and perpendicular to, the drumhead. This stick is rosined and rubbed with a cloth. Changing the pressure on the head of the drum from the outside produces the different pitches and timbres. The body of the cuíca is normally made of metal, gourd or synthetic material. It has a single head, normally in diameter, made of animal skin. The instrument is held under one arm at chest height with the help of a shoulder strap. To play the cuíca, the stick is rubbed up and down with a wet cloth held in one hand while using the fingers of the other hand to press down on the skin of the drum near the place where the stick is attached. The rubbing motion produces the sound and the pitch is increased or decreased by changing the pressure on the head.
Usage
The cuíca is used to accompany a variety of different folk and urban popular dances. For example, it may be part of the instrumental ensemble for the Dança de Santa Cruz (Dance of the Holy Cross) celebrated every May in Santa Cruz, California or for the moçambique (Mozambique) dramatic dance, bailado, in Minas Gerais. It also is used in Feast of the Cross (Feast Of The Holy Cross) dances and processions and in samba music
and dance performances in rural São Paulo.