What is "putipu"

The putipù is a musical instrument traditionally used in folk music of Southern Italy, in particular of Naples and surrounding regions. It is a friction drum, consisting of a cylindrical sound box closed at the top by a stretched membrane, with a bamboo cane attached at the center. The instrument is played by rubbing the rod with a wet hand, cloth, or sponge, that causes the membrane to vibrate.

The putipu exists in several variants, differing on the materials and dimensions. Other common names are caccavella, puti-puti, pignato, cute-cute, cupellone, bufù (in Molise) and cupa-cupa (especially in Apulia). Some of these names are onomatopoeias of the sound. The instrument is also called pernacchiatore (literally " raspberry blower") on account of its sound, or pan-bomba (a corruption of the Spanish name zambomba).