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musings of a nostalgic ghanaian

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Kosh-Ka!

So I was in Cape Coast a few months ago and I came across this stringed double rattle thingy we used to call "Kosh-Ka" (obviously an onomatopoeic name) back in the day! It turns out they're pretty big among the tourists (though, according to the hawkers, many can't find their rhythm on these LOL).

So I did my research, and the generally accepted Brɔfo for these is "Asalato".

They're made from small gourds harvested from oncoba spinosa (Brɔfo for the rest of us: snuff-box tree), dried up and hollowed out through a small incision made at the base. If you've ever wondered what makes the rattling noise in them, Wikipedia says they're filled with pebbles from the lateritic soil (a.k.a. atakpame) of the Sahel or small pieces of shells. Then, of course, comes the string whose length varies with the size of the ball - the bigger the ball, the longer the string.

There's actually a wealth of info online about the Asalato. It is alleged that Asalato was a big hit in Japan around the 90's, for instance. In Mali, once a girl reaches baby-sitting age, she has to learn to play the kosh-ka... er, Asalato ;-) to entertain her younger siblings.

On Youtube there's a bunch of cool vids of people having a go at the Asalato. Check this guy out!

Perhaps you're a giant nerd like me and want to learn to play the Asalato - click here!

If you're in Ghana, you could find Asalato at any indigenous craft village. If you're outside Ghana, you could shell out eight bucks to these guys.

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My first post! Loved this song when I first heard it at an "old skool" event in one of Tema's pubs, "Sey's Place" (now closed). All rights go to the artist(s).