Latin Percussion LP3512 12x18-inch Rio Rebolo

General

The Rio Rebolo (pictured left) is a small samba drum that produces warm and deep tones. The larger version of the Rebolo is the TanTan, which sounds even deeper due to its greater length. The Rebolo is a samba instrument used in parades and by street musicians as well as indoors or in a samba school. Here, the even larger 'batterias' are often used, from which both this Rebolo and TanTan are derived.

Rebolo sound

The sound of the Rebolo sounds more present than a conga and has a higher bass tone. The Rebolo and Tan Tan are often played as complements to each other at the same time, with the Rebolo playing the syncopations of the Tan Tan part. The Rebolo actually has two skins of which only the white one can be seen. Underneath, however, is another thin Naugahyde (an artificial thin layer of sheet) that filters out the hi-end overtones, giving you a nice dry sound. There are also holes in this sheet so that air can move when striking, creating an interestingly unique tone.