As is analyzed by some scholars who have studied music and popular culture (Ayala & Ayala; Lins; Travassos), the generic term "coco" is present throughout the northeastern region, characterizing a series of manifestations that are quite abundant and still little studied. Travassos says that the "sensation is of a sea of ​​coconuts, dynamic, deep, precariously mapped". (Travassos). There are several types of cocos, each with its own particularity. The variants are in their own names, and can characterize the type of dance, singing, instrument, and locality. As for example, coco of roda, coco of umbigada, coco of ciranda, samba of coco, coco of zambê, coco of ganzá, coco of coco, coco of Alagoas, coconut praieiro, etc. In Rio Grande do Norte, for example, the use of the terms Bambelô or Zambê is common. Mario de Andrade already noticed in his researches in the years 1920/30 that "coco goes around giving name to many different things".

Although in practice all kinds of generalizations bring their faults, as there are always exceptions, we can speak generically of a type of coconut that is a collective manifestation where there is singing, music and dance. Usually in a circle of people, the dance, individual or in double, is performed at the center. It is common the presence of the umbigada to characterize the exchange of the dancers. Still in general, we can say that this type of coco is different from the embolada coco that is only sung, usually by a pair of emboladores or coquista. In the collective cocon there is the soloist and the choir and in the instrumentation it is common the presence of drums, ganzás and tambourines to mark the rhythm. The presence of the coco is very frequent in the junin celebrations, but the groups can appear in several occasions like in the carnival, patron's party, festivals, concerts, political events, etc.

Djalma Corrêa recorded two bambelôs in his researches in Rio Grande do Norte. From the Capital, "Bambelô Asa Branca" by Mestre Severino Guedes, one of the best known masters of Natal and Ceará-Mirim, "Bambelô Canarinho" by Mestre Anastácio Tertuliano da Silva. One of the specifics of the bambelô is to be formed only by men, there are players and dancers, they form a wheel and one at a time goes to the center to present their dance. In this region, the drums also have very specific names. Djalma recorded from Ceará mirim the names Mingonguê and Chama de Puitá. In addition to drums, the instrumental consisted of ganzás.