BAMBULA: MEANING, ORIGIN, SYNONYMS, USAGE EXAMPLES - DUDAS - 2025

The cheesecloth is a type of cloth or the like fabric in appearance, shape and fall to flax. Unlike the latter, it is commonly manufactured synthetic, although there is also a cotton ball.

Its main characteristic are wrinkles (or folds) similar to pleats, but these appear irregularly and generally close together. These folds occur naturally in the bamboo during the manufacturing process, and are also permanent, so they do not go away with washing. This quality makes it identifiable at first glance.

Tela bambula, source: pixabay.com.

This fabric is used commercially for making garments, mainly for women. They stand out among these: dresses, skirts, palazo style pants or summer blouses. The fabric also offers the advantage that it does not require ironing, this due to the fact that its manufacturing folds are maintained by washing.

Like linen, it is ideal for summer garments due to its drape, its freshness and the moderate rigidity that its construction gives it, which allows to maintain the structure in the pieces and the shape of the body when they are being used.

For the care of bamboo garments, the ideal is to keep them on hangers once washed and keep them wrinkled. This helps preserve your folds. Some varieties of bambula are more viscous and others more rigid, depending on whether it is of synthetic or cotton origin.

Meanings and origin

The word bambula has other meanings, in addition to the fabric or method of making with folds similar to linen.

Bambula as a musical instrument

This term also refers to a musical instrument of African origin, whose use spread from the so-called East Indies, mainly Indonesia, Jakarta and the Malay Archipelago, to the southern United States and the West Antilles.

This instrument consists of a drum commonly made from the woody stem of bamboo. From there comes the name of the bambula in this sense. Its size is approximately one meter high and twenty-five centimeters in diameter.

Roam like music or dance

By extension it is also called bambula or bamboula to music and dance that is performed to the sound of the instrument. This is also of African origin, specifically in the Yoruba people, and became popular thanks to slaves during the 19th century in the British colonies around the world.

Bamboula was as influential during this time as the calenda in the old part of the French Quarter of the city of New Orleans (today Beauregard Square) and other areas of the English and French colonies.

This dance has inspired composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as the British conductor Samuel Coleridge Taylor, the pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk and the singer Marguerite Castellanos Taggart, a native of New Orleans. The bambula has an influence on the later development of jazz.

Synonyms

- Cloth.

- Tissue.

- Dressmaking style.

- Bamboula.

- Drum.

- African dance.

Usage examples

- My new collection in stores includes several pieces of bambula.

- Store your bamboo skirt in the suitcase, you don't have to worry about it getting wrinkled.

- José complimented Ana for her blouse, it is made of bamboo.

- Bambulas are still used in some countries to create beautiful melodies.

- Bambula is a suitable material for making wedding dresses at summer weddings.

- The bambula has been an inspiration for composers until today.

- Don't worry about the iron, the dress is made of bamboo.

- That bamboo blouse is as elegant as a linen one.

- Sofía looks very good in her bambula pants.

- Since her trip to Italy, Martha uses many pieces of bamboo.

References

1. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.
2. (2018) Spain: Dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, Tricentennial Edition. Recovered from: dle.rae.es.
3. Do you know what la bambula is? Include it in your closet and you will NEVER iron. (2018). Spain: Glamor. Recovered from: es.
4. (2019). United States: The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Recovered from: es.thefreedictionary.com.
5. (2019). Spain: Educalingo. Recovered from: educalingo.com.