Asalatholic Freestyle (Ghanaian Shaker)

Many years ago, I was introduced to the Aslatua. According to DjembeDirect.com, “the aslatua (ah-SLAH-too-uh) is a unique hand percussion toy that will capture your attention with its tricky polyrhythm. This simple instrument (also known as aslato, kashaka, cascas, televi, kasso-kassoni, and more) is played by holding one gourd in the palm while simultaneously shaking and swinging the second gourd. The gourds come from the Swawa tree in West Africa, which are dried, hollowed, filled with pebbles, and connected with a string. You’ll have hours of fun playing with this traditional African instrument.”

The first video (above) is a great freelance video of the Aslatua. If you are interested in learning how to play the aslatua, check out the instructional video below.

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Dave Gerhart

Dr. Dave Gerhart, Artist Relations Partner for the Yamaha Corporation and freelance percussionist is a nationally recognized performer, composer, and educator. Dr. Gerhart, originally from Fairfield, California, holds a D.M.A. from the University of Southern California, M.M. in Percussion Performance and Instrumental Conducting and a B.M. in Music Education from California State University, Long Beach.

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