This instrument has a long rich history and has remained virtually unchanged through time. The pandeiro as it is found in Brazil is a variation of the tambourine which is thought to be Middle Eastern in origin but also found all across Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean. Across the Middle East the tambourine was used mainly in religious ceremonies and by dancers. Crusaders brought this instrument to Europe sometime in the 13th century. Tambourines were played in ancient Greece and Rome, travelling across Europe with the gypsy movement. It eventually made its way to Portugal where it was called pandereta or adufe. The portuguese then brought this instrument along with them to the new world (Brazil). The pandeiro was and is still used in many styles of Brazilian music from Samba, Chorro, Coco to Bossa Nova. The pandeiro was eventually introduced to capoeira by way of Samba. Therefore it is thought that both the berimbau and atabaque were already part of capoeira before the pandeiro was included. During the period when capoeira was outlawed the capoeiristas and samba players would practice secretly in the same area. A game of capoeira would be played when suddenly a signal would be given by the change in berimbau toque to alert the capoeiristas that the authorities were coming. Immediately the samba girls would jump in the roda and start dancing. The pandeiro would play more variations in samba de roda along with other instruments like the atabaque.