Originally a traditional, african instrument, xekere, also called Abé (Maracatu) is nowadays widely used in Latin America, too. It is a dried and emptied gourd, with beads, seeds or small shells woven into a net all around it.

It is played by shaking it and hitting the lower, uncovered part of the gourd. Its sound is very loud and high-pitched. This model is a Brazilian one, handmade by renowned craftsman Cavaco, with particularly sturdy, tight pearls (beads), which ensures a very long lifespan for the instrument.

Both ends of the stringing (part of the net without beads) are adjustable, to make the net looser or tighter, according to the player's favourite playing technique or his/her handsize; for instance to give more bead-free space for strokes on the lower part of the gourd.

Height: around 13 in
Diameter: around 10 in
Weight: around 0.8 kg

NB: colours are subject to product availability