I recently watched the documentary BEHIND THE PLANET OF THE APES narrated by Roddy McDowall and when talking about Jerry Goldsmith's score for the first film, he commented that the maestro used a "Brazilian Cuica" as an instrument.
What cues would you say that the Cuica was used? Thanks.
Interesting how in the Documentary I believe McDowall pronounced the instrument as a "Koo Kah" and this guy in the video says "Quee Kah".
Can you think of any other Film Scores other than the APES Films where a "Cuica" was used?
Quee Kah is the correct pronounciation.
Quincy Jones used one on Soul Bossanova which was heavily used in the Austin Powers films. They are typical rhythm instruments in South American music. I always thought they had a very vocal like quality to them.
I can't recall if JG used a cuica on Under Fire but he did use Pat Metheny who would go on to use the cuica in one of my favorite songs from one his group's best albums (all IMO of course):
After re-listening to Nicaragua from Under Fire, I think Goldsmith is emulating the sound on a synth when the march starts--either that or the setting is trying to emulate some kind of flute. Too hard to tell with some of those old synth/midi patches.
Also, it's nice to finally put a name to the instrument that creates those sounds.
Thanks, Neil! (plenty of copies still available! Hint! Hint!)
The book also details all the places where Maestro Goldsmith wrote the cuica IN to the score but was DELETED before it was committed to tape onthe recording stage.
A very fun and fascinating instrument to use. When I did my re-recording CD, I spent hours and hours with the cuica from the Emil Richards percussion collection, laboring to get the rhythms, squeaks and plops as close as humanly possible to his performance. I was an insanely satisfying experience. (BTW, I'm down to the last 5 CDs of the re-recorded PLANET OF THE APES CD!)
The cuica makes a weird and chilling appearance in Goldsmith's THE MEPHISTO WALTZ score. In the video of the last day of recording sessions that's floating around on YouTube, Emil Richards can be seen making a long, slow, creaking sound on his cuica--not the rapid fire hoots and screaks heard in PLANET OF THE APES.
I wonder if that sorta Dog Barking effect heard in THE BURBS is actually a Cuica? I'll have to listen closely.
Starting at 1:07 What do you think? Is that a Cuica?
Crazy, I'd never considered that before but that was most likely the patch they were using to get that sound. It's clearly a synth but the tone has vocal qualities and he just played it really high to sound like a little lap dog. Brilliant!
I could have sworn that particular patch was all over Medicine Man but I can't find it--the patch I was thinking of is definitely trying to emulate the woodwind family.
Goldsmith also employs it very subtly in some of the loud action bursts of Poltergeist
And in Chinatown, the cue "The Captive" features a hugely disturbing groaning noise. I don't think it's a cuica, it's probably been pointed out in another thread, but it's a similar sound.
Can you think of any other Film Scores other than the APES Films where a "Cuica" was used?
La Resa dei Conti ( the big gundown ). In the two 'La Caccia' tracks. At least the first one.
Lots of Brasilian films or films set in Brasil.
Start with "Black Orpheus."
No doubt, Onya. Having neither seen those Brazilian films nor heard Brazilian soundtracks from that time period, though, I wonder if the usage of cuica is strictly in their pop music (dances and songs) or was this instrument employed in dramatic underscoring?
Regarding my own soundtrack collection, there are a few by A-list Italians several years before Goldsmith used Cuica in Planet of the Apes.
It's amazing how expressive this instrument is--almost all the demonic growls and groans in The Mephisto Waltz are produced by a cuika (it's also described as a "friction drum" in the score).
