Rebaca: Brazilian musical instrument

The rebaca which can also be called rabeca chuleira is a fiddle from north-eastern Brazil and Northern Portugal that is most commonly used in Brazilian forró  music. It originated from the medieval rebec.

The musical instrument is believed to have originated from the Entre-Douro-e-Minho region of the northern Portugal, mostly in the areas around Amarante during the 18^th century. Rabeca also have Jewish origins. In the Portuguese tradition, the rabeca chuleira is a short scale variation that is played in some village bands together with guitars or viola braguesa, drums, triangle and sometimes the gaita. In Portugal, this musical instrument is still widely associated with the people of Minho, Douro Litoral and some parts of Beira Litoral. Meanwhile, it does not have much important significance or popularity in the rest of the country and it has been slowly replaced by the violin in Portuguese folk music.

In the traditional empire of the Brazilians, the musical instrument is simply called rabeca and it is not a short scale instrument. The Portuguese viola braguesa corresponds to its Brazilian cousin, the viola caipira. In the forró music, the instrument is typically accompanied by the accordion, zabumba drum and the triangle. The three primary dance rhythms of forró are the 4/4 xote and arrasta-pe.

The short scaled musical instrument, rabeca chuleira from Portugal is tuned an octave above the violin. The Brazilian rabeca on its side plays in the same range as the violin but may be tuned in fourths or in fifths.