For an instrument that seems simple enough on the surface, the shekere is more than meets the eye... The shekere is a percussion instrument native to West Africa, traditionally played to drive out sorrow and to welcome prosperity. Noble pursuits, for this humble gourd shaker!
The shekere is a beaded gourd instrument from the Yoruba region, consisting of modern-day Nigeria, Benin, and Togo (Read more here). Slaves brought to South America managed to keep many of their musical traditions alive in Afro-Brazilian and Cuban music today (More on this here). As a result, the instrument has many names, such as...
The ṣẹ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀ and ushàkà (among Yoruba & Igbo people of Nigeria respectively), saa saa (in Liberia), djabara (in Guinea), axatse (among Ewe people of Ghana), shake-shake or shaburay (in Sierra-Leone), chekeré or aggué (in Cuba), xequerê or cabaça (in Brazil). There are even more Afro-Brazilian variants of the name, such as afuxê, afoxé, cabasa, and cabaz, depending on regional dialect... But music knows no linguistic boundaries!
The instrument's body is fashioned from a dried gourd, of almost any shape you could imagine. Different sizes and thicknesses will result in different tones. Bigger gourds will create a bigger resonating body, allowing for deeper warmer tones, while the small gourds will have higher pitched and brighter tones (Further description here).
Likewise, different kinds of beads or netting will also change the sound. Different regional styles exist around the world, and while some regions prefer large gourds with dense bead nets (Southwest Nigeria), others prefer smaller, lighter, and therefore faster instruments (Eastern regions). All tones can find a place in the music, but different regional preferences exist, partly due to historical precedent of using certain materials.
Players of shekere will often have several instruments, capabale of different sounds and suitable for different musical contexts. What matters most is that the person playing the instrument is comfortable holding and tossing the instrument from hand to hand. The playing of this instrument is meant to be a joyful activity, after all! Some say, "don't play the shekere where there is sadness; Only play shekere where there is happiness – where there is joy!" (Video source)
PLAYING THE SHEKERE
The most common playing technique is to hold the shekere much as you might hold a baby, resting the base on the heel of one hand while the other hand supports the neck. You then toss the instrument from side to side (not as you would with a baby) to achieve that distinctive bass sound (See video tutorial). This feels a bit like filling the gourd with water, then releasing it in a repetitive back-and-forth motion (in another video tutorial).
Different motions on the shekere result in different sounds, which play different roles in the music. A helpful overview by Julian Blake describes various playing techniques: a basic shake produces a light "dee daa" rattle (used to keep a steady beat); a net lift produces a deep thump (for strong accents); a wrist twist creates a rolling "shaa ray" sound (to build excitement); and a quick shake produces a fast rattle (to create musical fills). You can also tap on the gourd with fingertips for a sharp high sound. The most important thing is to have fun while you're doing it!
You can get a run-down of some of the rhythmic basics and some more complex rhythmic patterns from a number of excellent percussionists online. It's a great way to get started playing right away, from the comfort of your own home. The shekere is also a wonderful gateway instrument for kids, giving them the immediate kinetic connection with something that looks friendly and approachable – covered in tactile bead nets that invite playful exploration. With this instrument, it's easy to get started playing rhythmic grooves in a hands-on way.
Another fun project for kids is making a shekere at home. It's a long process, since it takes several months to properly dry the gourd, but the end result can be quite rewarding. You can see how the instruments are made in West Africa in this slice-of-life video from AfrospiralTV. If you're into this kind of DIY project, we recommend checking out a helpful online guide such as this one.
The shekere acts as the backbone for musical ensembles in West Africa. The beaded gourd rattle is capable of producing polyrhythms, as well as communicative rhythmic signals that act a guide for dancers' motions. When playing for dancers, you'll notice that a masterful shekere player's eyes don't stray far from the dancers...
Polyrhythms are an integral part of certain dances (such as the Bata and Gelede) that require feet to be moving to one beat while arms are moving with a different beat. While keeping constant rhythmic communication with the dancers, the shekere player is always ready to change the rhythm to match what the dancers need, and can create rhythmic signals to direct the rest of the musical ensemble to follow suit.
MORE THAN JUST A RATTLE
While clearly important to music and dance traditions of West Africa, the cultural and spiritual significance of the shekere goes much deeper...
The shekere is one of the few percussion instruments in Africa that women are traditionally allowed to play. This is in part because it is seen to represent both the male and female essence. The gourd is representative of male energy, while the bead design is representative of female energy (More on this here). In many cultures around the world, gourds represent life itself. From one small seed, you can create something strong and resonant and useful (a vessel for water and other life-giving nutrients, for example).
The very sound of the instrument is said to be sacred in the Yoruba religion. Every beat creates energy, with the power to bring balance, peace, and strength. Masterful players of the shekere can create rhythmic calls to invite particular gods known as Orisha into a ceremony. For example, the ocean goddess Yemoja enjoys flowing wave-like rhythms, while the thunder god Shango will only appear when invoked by strong sharp beats on the shekere (Read about this here).
When it comes to the decoration of the shekere, different colors and patterns are also said to have deep spiritual meaning. For instance, blue beads are a way to honor Yemoja, while red beads would honor Shango. Sometimes blessed objects are woven in along with the seeds, wooden beads, shells, sea glass, cowries, or other bead material. Families will pass special sacred shekeres down for generations, as the spirits of their ancestors are said to reside within. The shekere is seen as a mode of prayer, a way to communicate with ancestral spirits and deties, and as a way to bring in good energy and blessings.
Even when Africans were taken as slaves to Cuba, the traditions around the shekere have largely survived to present day. In the Santería religion, African and Catholic beliefs have blended together and the chekeré still plays a role in worship and connection to spirit. In the Candomblé ceremonies of Brazil, the xequerê is used in honoring spirits. The Ewe people of Ghana play the axatse in storytelling as well as healing music. Wherever the instrument has traveled, many old spiritual traditions have travelled with it. The shekere knows no geographic boundaries, and will happily travel with you wherever you go!
While the shekere may be best known for its percussive qualities, it represents traditions of bringing in good energy and honoring ancestors while celebrating life. It is more than just a rhythm instrument. The shekere invites us to stop and listen to the music, relax into that groove, and feel the love that comes from joyful play!
SHEKERES AT LARK IN THE MORNING
If you're looking to get started playing, we've got a couple different varieties of Shekeres available in our online store...
Axatse Shekere Plastic Beads of two sizes: