Hypercuica: Augmenting and Performing with an Afro-Brazilian Friction Drum

Luam Clarindo, Marcelo Wanderley, and Filipe Lopes

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

Hypercuica is an augmented percussion instrument developedfrom the cuica, an Afro-Brazilian friction drum traditionally associated with samba carioca. Aiming to expand the cuica’s sonic affordances, this paper presents a design concept that enables an embodied and dynamic interplay between instrument and performer, mediated through sensors embedded in the cuica. Hypercuica’s system integrates microphones, gravity-sensor data, hardware, software, and mapping strategies for gesture-based sound modulation, combining the instrument’s acoustic properties with digital signal processing (DSP). This paper details the technical implementation created to enable sonic modulation through the movement of both the instrument and the performer’s body. The expressive potential of Hypercuica’s sound is explored through its use in live performance contexts. A design-based research approach was adopted to iteratively prototype, test, and analyse the system, which was developed through performance-based experimentation and informal feedback emerging from public presentations and workshops.

Citation

Luam Clarindo, Marcelo Wanderley, and Filipe Lopes. 2026. Hypercuica: Augmenting and Performing with an Afro-Brazilian Friction Drum. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20784246 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime2026_81,
 abstract = {Hypercuica is an augmented percussion instrument developedfrom the cuica, an Afro-Brazilian friction drum traditionally associated with samba carioca. Aiming to expand the cuica’s sonic affordances, this paper presents a design concept that enables an embodied and dynamic interplay between instrument and performer, mediated through sensors embedded in the cuica. Hypercuica’s system integrates microphones, gravity-sensor data, hardware, software, and mapping strategies for gesture-based sound modulation, combining the instrument’s acoustic properties with digital signal processing (DSP). This paper details the technical implementation created to enable sonic modulation through the movement of both the instrument and the performer’s body. The expressive potential of Hypercuica’s sound is explored through its use in live performance contexts. A design-based research approach was adopted to iteratively prototype, test, and analyse the system, which was developed through performance-based experimentation and informal feedback emerging from public presentations and workshops.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 articleno = {81},
 author = {Luam Clarindo and Marcelo Wanderley and Filipe Lopes},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20784246},
 editor = {Benedict Gaster and João Tragtenberg and Anna Xambó and Tom Mitchell},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 note = {},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {686--692},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/cAyhnUkYrso},
 title = {Hypercuica: Augmenting and Performing with an Afro-Brazilian Friction Drum},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2026/nime2026_81.pdf},
 year = {2026}
}