Axatse
| Axatse | |
|---|---|
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| Ghanaian axatse | |
| classification |
Idiophone percussion |
Axatse is a Ghanaian vessel rattle that is related to the shékere in Central and South America.
The body consists of a calabash , an emptied, dried and hard pumpkin shell around which a string net is stretched, on which seeds, pearls, cowrie shells or plastic balls are strung. This network is closed on all sides. The axatse is significantly smaller than the shékere and the neck of the calabash is not removed. Instead of the bottle gourd , pieces made industrially from fiberglass are also offered.
The player holds the axatse in his right hand. When he hits her down on his leg, it creates a deep, muffled sound; if he hits it up against the palm of his left hand, the tone is lighter and higher. The pitch difference is at least a fifth .
In the drum orchestra that accompanies the Ewe dances, the axatse belongs to the rhythm section in the background. There she duplicates the basic beats given by the double gong gankogui . Another calabash rattle with a surrounding rattle body net is the daghumma in Mauritania.
literature
- Arthur Morris Jones : Studies in African Music. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press, London 1959, pp. 55f
Web links
- Learning Objects: axatse (Engl.)
- World beats: Axatse (with sound sample)
Individual evidence
- ^ Jones, p. 55