I’ve decided that the next instrument I’m going to learn to play is the asalato. (Or the kashaka, or kosh kash, or any number of other onomatopoeic words to describe shakers on strings.)
You’re likely thinking that learning to play a shaker can’t be too difficult, and I don’t blame you; it’s rare to find an instrument with a name that basically functions as an exhaustive list of instructions as to how to play it.
But is not an ordinary shaker.
You have to see someone play this shaker to appreciate how amazing it is. I recommend starting with this video, where Ghanaian musician Moussa Diarra gives a tutorial that goes from “beginner” to “advanced” in the blink of an eye.
Although it originated in west Africa, the simple percussive instrument has made its way around the world, and is often used in folk styles that place rhythm at the forefront.
Brazilian musician Mari Merenda’s Instagram profile is full of clips of her singing while accompanying herself on the asalato. It’s mesmerizing to watch her sing in her easygoing Portuguese, smiling and closing her eyes as if she’s settling in for a tanning session on the beach, with the shakers whizzing frantically around her fingers like bees around a hive.
Everyone I’ve watched play the asalato online makes it look so easy, and I’m sure that the learning curve is much steeper and filled with bruised knuckles than I’m expecting. But I’m going to try anyway.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. Portuguese is such a fantastically singable language. The lyrics to this song – originally by Brazilian legend Sivuca – amount to nothing more than a stall-minder at a market listing off the items they have for sale. But to my ears it’s the most rhythmic, flowing poetry imaginable.
2. The extra instrumentation comes courtesy of The Kiffness, aka David Scott, a South African musician who remixes videos that catch his ear on YouTube (most notably cat videos). He must be just about as big of a fan of the asalato as I am, as he’s also remixed the Moussa Diarra video mentioned above.
3. Even before all Scott’s instruments come in, Merenda’s voice and the asalato are enough.
Recommended listening activity:
Shaking whatever you have that feels like shaking.