Agogo Bell
/əˈɡoʊɡoʊ bɛl/noun
A pair or set of connected metal bells played with a stick, especially in West African and Brazilian music.
Did you know?The agogo became especially prominent in Afro-Brazilian religious and carnival traditions, including candomblé and samba, where its rhythm can help organize ceremonial movement and musical response.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-modern period
Yoruba
àgógó
“Bell or metal percussion instrument”
19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
agogô
“A metal bell instrument used in Afro-Brazilian music”
Early 20th Century
Portuguese
agogô
“A pair or set of tuned bells”
20th Century
English
agogo
“A bell percussion instrument adopted from Brazilian and African musical contexts”
Modern English
English
agogo bell
“A connected set of bells struck with a beater”
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