Gourd Shakere Medium

The shekere is an ancient traditional percussion instrument of West Africa. Popular from Senegal to Nigeria, they are a central feature of traditional Ewe music. In Ghana and Togo they are called “axatse,” and in Mali and Guinea as “djabara”. Traditionally, the calabash is a dried gourd which is hollowed, cleaned and threaded with small shells collected from the shorelines of Ghana to create the shekere, although like this one, these days solid but light beads are often preferred. They produce crisp or sandy effects depending on how they’re played. As these are made from natural gourds, there is a natural variation in sizing.