A cabasa is a percussion instrument made up of a steel ball chain looped around a round wheel or cylinder (usually made of wood). It usually has a handle, and the instrument is shaken to produce a sound similar to that of a high hat cymbal with brushes. Cabasas are used in a variety of Latin American music styles, but they are best known for their distinct sound in bossa nova, a Latin jazz style derived from samba.
The shekere, an African instrument, was undoubtedly the inspiration for the cabasa. This was a hollowed-out gourd with a net of beads strung over it. The sound is very similar to that of the cabasa when shaken, though the latter instrument has a more metallic tone. Cabasas are also more likely to be available in a range of sizes. Because shekeres are traditionally made of gourds, the size and length of the handle is heavily influenced by the size of the gourd.
The cabasa is a fantastic instrument for beginning musicians. A beginner can quickly participate in the rhythmic elements of a piece, just as they can with the claves. Learning rhythm and timing, as well as the amount of shaking required to produce the instrument’s sound, is a matter of practice. While beginners can learn the fundamentals of rhythm, true percussionists can make the cabasa sound amazing and produce a wide range of rhythmic effects with it.
Some cabasas are protected by patents. This is true of percussionist and music specialist Martin Cohen’s LP Afuche® Cabasa, which was released nearly four decades ago. His designs outsell any other type of cabasa on the market and are available in a variety of sizes. Larger models have a richer, fuller sound, and the bead strings can be manipulated more easily by the hands to create a variety of effects, including the “shake” sound.
When looking for cabasas for sale, you’ll notice a lot of rounded models. If a net of beads surrounds a rounded top, these are actually shekeres, not cabasas. Both instruments are excellent, and models made of less expensive materials can be purchased for around $20-30 US Dollars (USD). The larger LP Afuche® cabasa models typically cost around $40 USD and are made of high-quality wood and metal.