The kashaka is a simple percussion instrument made of two small gourds filled with beans (like two small shakers connected by a string). One gourd is held in the hand, and the other is swung quickly from side to side around the hand. This movement causes the gourds to hit each other, making a "clack" sound. The kashaka originated in West Africa but is now used in many countries with different names, such as Patica (Japan), Kosika (USA), Asalato, Kes Kes, Tchangot Tche, Koshkah, and others.

The kashaka makes shaking sounds and clicking noises when the beans inside move and hit each other. Learning to control the kashaka is challenging at first, but it allows players to create more complex rhythms. Because people have different hand sizes, using a kashaka that fits well makes it easier to learn and master rhythms. When an experienced player uses a kashaka in each hand, they can play two different rhythms at the same time, creating a musical pattern called a polymeter.

Manufacturing methods

Each ball of a Kashaka (also called the aslatua) is made from a hollow gourd taken from the Oncoba spinosa tree. In the past, when the gourds dry and fall from the tree, children gather them and fill them with orange-colored pebbles from the iron-rich soil of the Sahel region. Along the coast of West Africa, small shell pieces are used instead of pebbles.

The two gourd balls are connected by a string (sometimes made from braided old cloth) in one of two ways:

• One method involves drilling a single, round hole in the bottom of the Kashaka. After adding the shaker material, one end of the string is tied and pushed through the hole. A small stick, shaped to be narrower at one end with a knife, is then inserted into the hole until it can go no further. The stick is glued to the gourd’s thin wall. Once the glue dries, the part of the stick sticking out is carefully cut off. The string length between the balls can range from 6 to 12 centimeters, depending on the size of the gourd (larger gourds have longer strings).
• Another method uses holes drilled in both the top and bottom of each gourd. After adding the shaker material, the string is threaded through both holes of each gourd and tied on the outside. Kashakas made this way are adjustable because the knot can be moved up or down the string. This is helpful because it is easier to learn how to play when the Kashakas fit comfortably in a player’s hand.