the agogo is the famous samba bell, the highest pitch in the bateria and the instrument in every samba school with the most direct ties to africa. the name comes from the yorúbá word for bell and, apart from its famous use in samba, it is also a component of candomblé, capoeira and native religious traditions in africa and brazil.

last but certainly not least, the famous pandeiro - considered by many to be the brazilian national instrument, it is most closely related to the american tambourine, but with a squatter frame and a drier, tighter sound than traditionally associated with the percussion instrument.