We first met Roberto from Contemporânea in 1999 when visiting Brasil. He had just taken over the business. He ran a highly successful retail store in São Paulo with his brother, which still holds Chorinho sessions in a back room on a Saturday morning.

Instruments from Contemporânea are some of the few drums that are accepted by the musicians from Rio as being suitable for Carnaval. This is partly to do with the fine materials used, but mainly to do with the fact that most of the workers are players. Every time I have visited, at the end of the day there is a high quality pagode session, usually led by Roberto on Pandeiro. The workers and designers have the ear for the right sound.

Contemporânea has expanded over the last 10 years and now has separate wood and metal manufacturing units. They are certainly some of the most efficient producers in Brasil.

The professional range of Brasilian percussion instruments are branded Contemporânea. They are made for Samba schools in Rio and throughout Brasil and are well-thought of by the best players.

Here is a brief run down of what they make. For further details consult the specification / price list. (Anything in brackets we only supply to order).

• Surdos: Aluminium or Wood diameter 14" - 28", Short 40cm, Full size 50cm, 55cm, or 60cm.
• Repiniques: Aluminium (or wood) 8", 10" and 12" x 30cm up to 12 lugs
• Caixa: Malacacheta 12" x 20cm, Guerre 14" and 12", (Caixa Repique)
• Tamborim:   (Wood), Fibre and Aluminium 6"
• Ganza, Rocar and Chocalho:  Small, medium and large ganza, double rocar and (4 bar Chocalho)
• Agogo:   Large Chrome and Small Chrome, double weld.
• Timba:   14" x 70cm, 14" x 90cm  wood and (aluminium)
• Pandeiro:  from 8" - 12", with hide or plastic heads. Contemporânea make pandeiros for all occasions! They developed a brilliant Chorinho light wood pandeiro that is considered a top professional instrument.

Roberto was asked to make a schools range of instruments. We have been instrumental in developing these instruments with Roberto over the least few years. These instruments are supplied in some of our percussion packs. They are tough, durable and safe instruments which we are happy to endorse as good schools instruments.

All the instruments are labelled GINGA

• Surdos:  Metal 14", 16" and 18" x 50cm;
• Repinique: metal 10" and 12" x 30cm;
• Caixa metal 10" x 10cm, 12" x 15cm;
• Tamborim: 6" nylon and metal;
• Agogo: Small and large black;
• Timba: 10" x 50cm, 12" x 65cm

Developed by David Ledsam and Roberto from Contemporânea for use with younger people and/or smaller workshop areas.

Single-ended, Napa-headed Surdos which nest into each other, ideal for transport and light enough for smaller and younger players to use. The Napa head gives a deep, warm tone. They make ideal drums for sports teams.

Simeon Smith of the maSamba Samba school has developed a colour-based teaching method using these drums.