shekere

shekere
en:User:Freddythehat · Public domain · source
Name	Shekere
Background	percussion
Classification	Idiophone
Hornbostel-Sachs	112.13
Developed	West Africa
Related	Abebe, Cabasa, Udu

shekere The shekere is an African percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd enmeshed in a beaded net, used in traditional and popular music across West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. It appears in ensembles associated with Yoruba, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian repertoires and features in performances by practitioners connected to festivals, studios, and concert halls linked to figures like Fela Kuti, Celia Cruz, and Elis Regina. Its acoustic role spans rhythmic support, call-and-response patterns, and textural coloration in contexts from Lagos market performances to Havana recording sessions.

Etymology

The name derives from languages of the Yoruba cultural sphere and cognate West African languages; linguistic connections can be traced through studies by scholars associated with institutions such as the School of Oriental and African Studies, the Smithsonian Institution, and the British Museum. Comparative etymology appears alongside terms used in ethnomusicological fieldwork documented by collectors linked to the Royal Anthropological Institute, the American Folklife Center, and the Musée du quai Branly. Colonial-era accounts in archives at the National Archives and the Biblioteca Nacional provide additional attestations from voyages connected to explorers like Mungo Park and Richard Burton.

Description and construction

A typical instrument comprises a hollowed, dried gourd harvested in regions such as Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana, fitted with a net of seed beads, cowrie shells, or plastic beads often strung on fiber or synthetic cord; construction practices have been described in technical studies by luthiers associated with conservatories such as Juilliard and Berklee. Makers sourced gourds from farming communities linked to organizations like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and handled materials referenced in catalogs from Kew Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Variants use local toolkits similar to those found in workshops of artisans connected to UNESCO creative cities networks and craft cooperatives supported by the Ford Foundation and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

History and cultural significance

The instrument’s roots are embedded in ritual, social, and courtly music within Yoruba courts and along coastal trading cities involved with the transatlantic networks connecting Salvador, Recife, and Kingston. Its presence appears in diasporic practices arising from the Atlantic slave trade and later syncretic forms associated with Candomblé, Santería, and Vodou communities documented by researchers affiliated with Columbia University and the University of Havana. Role in national cultures intersects with movements led by cultural figures tied to independence eras in Ghana, Cuba, and Brazil and with festivals sponsored by municipal governments like Lagos State and Havana City Councils.

Musical role and playing techniques

In ensemble contexts, players execute strokes and shakes to articulate time-lines, syncopation, and polyrhythms alongside drums such as the dundun, bata, conga, and timbal, in arrangements comparable to ensembles led by bandleaders like Tito Puente, Mario Bauzá, and King Sunny Adé. Techniques include shaking, striking with the palm, and throwing to produce accents; pedagogical descriptions appear in curricula from conservatories associated with the New England Conservatory and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. In studio settings, engineers from studios like Abbey Road, Criteria, and RCA have documented microphone placement and EQ approaches to capture the instrument’s transient spectrum in recordings by producers connected to labels such as Blue Note and Sony Music.

Types and regional variations

Regional variants reflect local materials and aesthetics: West African forms tied to Yoruba and Fon traditions, Cuban adaptations used in son and rumba circles in Havana and Matanzas, and Brazilian versions integrated into samba and maracatu practices in Salvador and Recife. Distinctive practices align with lineages associated with masters from ensembles led by bands like Africando, Grupo Niche, and Ilê Aiyê, and with instrument makers who supply cultural centers such as the National Theatre of Ghana and Teatro Nacional de Cuba.

Notable performers and recordings

Prominent players and recordings feature collaborations with artists and ensembles including Fela Kuti, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Buena Vista Social Club, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, and Astor Piazzolla; recordings on labels such as Verve, RCA, and EMI document studio and live uses. Ethnomusicologists and performers linked to field recordings archived at the British Library, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Folkways have highlighted contributions by practitioners associated with cultural institutions like the Pan African Festival, WOMAD, and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Contemporary performers appear in projects with producers and arrangers connected to Quincy Jones, Ricardo Tacuchian, and Sergio Mendes.

Category:Idiophones Category:African musical instruments Category:West African culture