
What is a shekere made of?
The instrument is common in West African and Latin American folkloric traditions as well as some of the popular music styles. In performance it is shaken and/or hit against the hands. The shekere is made from vine gourds that grow on the ground. The shape of the gourd determines the sound of the instrument.
What is a gourd shekere?
Gourd shekere from Africa with seeds in the net. The shekere (from Yoruba Ṣẹ́kẹrẹ) is a West African percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd with beads or cowries woven into a net covering the gourd. The instrument is common in West African and Latin American folkloric traditions as well as some of the popular music styles.
What is the musical genre of shekere?
Shekere. For the musical genre, see Sekere. The shekere (from Yoruba Ṣẹ́kẹrẹ) is a West African percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd with beads or cowries woven into a net covering the gourd. The instrument is common in West African and Latin American folkloric traditions as well as some of the popular music styles.
How do you use a shekere?
Holding the shekere upright will produce a soft bass tone, while light slaps on the bottom of the gourd produces tap sounds. The shekere can also create different sounds depending on what motion you apply. You can twist, turn, and shake the shekere to produce different sounds.

What is sekere instrument made of?
vine gourdsThe shekere is made from vine gourds that grow on the ground. The shape of the gourd determines the sound of the instrument. A shekere is made by drying the gourd for several months then removing the pulp and seeds. After it is scrubbed, skillful bead work is added as well as colour.
How do you make sekere?
1:459:39How to Make Shekere (Part 1/4) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMake the name we have seeds. And these are just normal pony beads that you can get at Michael's.MoreMake the name we have seeds. And these are just normal pony beads that you can get at Michael's.
What is the English for sekere?
sekere (plural sekeres) A musical instrument consisting of a gourd surrounded by a net of beads.
Where is shekere made?
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”, in Mali and Guinea as “djabara”.
What is sekere used for?
The Sekere is a percussion instrument made from a dried and hollowed-out gourd. When twisted or shaken, a beaded mesh scrapes against the gourd, producing a rattling sound. The sekere is played by the Yoruba people of Nigeria, but it is now often seen in Latin American percussion hands.
When did shekere originate?
The instrument has African origins and came to Brazil by slaves during the 19th century. Spread to the Brazilian states and nowadays is present in musical groups mainly in Bahia and Pernambuco, among others.
What is the Gankogui bell made of?
sheet ironThe gankogui is comprised of two conical-shaped flanged bells of differing size joined at their apexes. Each bell is made from two arched pieces of sheet iron with a pronounced tapering so that when their edges are welded together a deep cone-shaped vessel results.
How do you make a gourd rattle?
Coat the inside of your gourd with varnish. Using a small paintbrush that fits inside the hole in the bottom, cover the inside with varnish, leaving the gourd to sit overnight to dry completely. Put noisemakers inside your gourd. Possible choices include small stones or pebbles, beans, seeds or rice.
What does the talking drum sound like?
human hummingMost talking drums sound like a human humming depending on the way they are played. Similar hourglass-shaped drums are found in Asia, but they are not used to mimic speech, although the idakka is used to mimic vocal music.
What is the best known drum in Africa?
DjembeThe djembe (pronounced 'jem-beh') is one of West Africa's best-known instruments, one of the most versatile and widespread percussion instruments on the planet. This goblet-shaped drum is traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and topped with an animal skin as a drumhead.
What is the most distinct feature of shekere?
The most distinctive aspect of the shekere, however, is perhaps the beaded “skirt” that is woven around the instrument. The beads (sometimes, even seeds or shells are used) scratch against the surface of the gourd as it is played, creating yet another layer of percussive sound that naturally enhances the groove.
When was the balafon invented?
12th centuryOrigins of the Balafon The Balafon is believed to have been developed in the 12th century in the Southern Africa region during the rise of the Mali Empire.
What type of instrument is balafon?
percussion instrumentThe balafon is a tuned West African percussion instrument. It is the ancestor of the marimba, xylophone and vibraphone, and has been known of in the Malian Empire since the 12th century.
How do you play beaded gourd?
0:342:28How to Play the Shekere | African Drums - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHow you play the shaker ray is very simple and again you must try to be really relaxed you are goingMoreHow you play the shaker ray is very simple and again you must try to be really relaxed you are going to use the palm of your hand to strike the bottom of this instrument. While holding it at the top.
The rescue of the shekere
When Parada talks about the rescue of the shekere, he goes to its origin. He remembers that one of his students arrived with the fruit of a camaza (a climbing curcubitaceae plant) that they gave her. «She told me it didn’t ring and when I turned it over, it had seeds that I planted in my house».
What is the shekere?
The shekere is an idiophone percussion instrument (where the sound is produced by the vibration of its own body) that originated in West Africa. It was used by women to mark the rhythm in various tasks.
The process of elaboration
The making of the shekere starts from the ground because its future body develops through its seeds. When the fruit is already formed, it is extracted from the plant, its narrowest end is cut and the pulp is removed. It is dried in the sun and the inside is painted. Their own seeds can be used again to plant and guarantee their existence.
How is the shekere played?
The instrument can be shaken, as is done with maracas, hit by hand or rotated. It does not need tuning and its sound will also depend on the size and quality of the gourd (pumpkin).
