Apito
Apito - the word for whistle-in this case, the Brazilian Samba whistle. It was traditionally carved from wood. Today's whistles are made of metals like brass. The whistle has holes on its sides that are covered and uncovered with the fingers to produce different tones as you blow into it. The apito is used both to play rhythmic patterns and to announce either an ensemble passage, a new section, a beginning, or the end of a piece. In an Escloa de Samba, the Mestre de Bateria would give these cues. To him the whistle, along with the repinique (presented below), is like the conductor's baton. The apito is capable of producing loud and soft, long and short, and open and closed tones. All of them are used to add variety and color to the patterns played. The whistle can also play a repetitive pattern that functions as part of the entire ensemble's rhythm.
