The cabasa, similar to the
shekere, is a
percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Excl ...
that is constructed with loops of
steel ball chain wrapped around a wooden cylinder. The cylinder is fixed to a long, wooden or plastic handle.
The metal cabasa was created by
Martin Cohen, founder of
Latin Percussion
{{for, the company, Latin Percussion
Latin percussion is a family of percussion, membranophone, lamellophone and idiophone instruments used in Latin music.
Instruments Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican styles Folkloric and Santeria
*Trap drums
* Abak ...
. This company has built a more durable cabasa that they call an afuche-cabasa (pictured). It provides a metallic, rattling sound when shaken or twisted, similar to the sound of a rattlesnake. It is often used in
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave (rhythm), clave, and Afro-Brazil ...
, especially in
bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
pieces. Precise rhythmic effects can be gained by the advanced player. The player places his non-dominant hand on the metal chain, to provide pressure, while holding the wooden handle with the other hand and twisting the instrument back and forth depending on the rhythmic pattern desired. In addition to Latin music, many band and orchestra pieces call for the cabasa.
The African original version of the cabasa is called ''agbe'', and is constructed from dried oval or pear-shaped gourds with beads strung on the outer surface. There are many versions of this instrument, particularly in Latin music. ''Cabaça'' is used in Latin American dance. The ''cabaça'' is a natural or synthetic round or pear-shaped gourd covered with a network of beads and finishing in a single handle. This is compared to the metal version used in Latin jazz.
The instrument is frequently used in
music therapy, particularly with individuals who have physical/neurological disabilities as it requires minimal hand movement to produce a sound. The sound produced by the individual can then be reinforced by the music therapist, which builds neurological connections between hand movement and hearing the sound, in turn encouraging more fluent hand movements. Modern adaptations of this instrument include
Meinl Percussion foot pedal.
References
External links
Strong cabasa track played by Paulinho da Costa / Lennie Castro, on the song ''Your Ways'' on the 1980 ''Triumph'' album by The Jackson 5
{{Authority control
Struck idiophones
Hand percussion
South American percussion instruments
Unpitched percussion instruments