CHEKERE

[Laurent Lamy]

Who knows the chekere, fantastic instrument. It's like two instruments: adrum and a shaker...

[willowwilg]

last friday i saw a band (angata; half french half english), they built their whole rhythm around the shekeré's. it was excellent.
i love the sound, it can be used like a snare, you can dance/juggle with it and the sound cuts through really well.

[JohnnyConga]

I have been making and selling Chekeres for over 25 years and I still have the first one I ever made. I think it is an instrument all unto it's self and have definate purposes in Afro-Cuban music.. I have a piece called "Chekere" that is simple with 5 chekeres. Anyone can make up a rhythmic pattern,so try 5 Chekeres the next .time...JC JOHNNY CONGA....

[timo]

hi JC
how would you go about making a chekere, it intrests me because i was wathing this instruction thing and the rhythm soundet relly great, i know its made of gourd and sea shells or something. but are there any speciffic things i would have to know in order to make one?

[Pancho]

I've seen the Pancho Sanchez Band play 4 gourds of different pitch, and the sound produced is fantastic! Synchronization of the bead-rhythm and the Udu-like tone can make for a serious groove.

[JohnnyConga]

Timo first u need the gourd of course about the size of a soccor ball or basketball size.Cut off the top of the neck but leave enough neck for your hand to be able to hold it. Clean the gourd out ,scoop out dead skin and seeds that are inside..then put hot water in it and let it sit a bit to loosen up what ever is left in side and then pour it out. You are going to need Magibrand braided dacron trolling line,used for fishing. I use clothsline rope for the neck and the bottem of the gourd. Now stringing I can't tell u how to do that I would have to show u,it is a little tricky,,for the beading.I use plastic pony beads. If that isn't available you can use glass beads,seashells.wooden beads,etc. GOTO Gourds.com the best ones are from California Gourd farm. Depending on how loud u want it depends on the amount of beads,balance is important in beading the gourd,for playing sake,it can be light or heavy beading..I hope that helps a little...At your service JC JOHNNY CONGA.....

[Laurent Lamy]

"I have a piece called "Chekere" that is simple with 5 chekeres"
Is it possible to listen this piece?

[timo]

hi JC , thanks alot the instruction is really helpfull, and i think i can figure out how to put the string on my own.

[timo]

does anybody know if it possible to make a decent sounding chekere from clay?

[JohnnyConga]

Hi Timo ...my ur a busy bee! If u go with clay the minute u strike the bottem it will break, even gourds are known to break, by striking them on the bottem too hard for the tonal response...Unless u have an oven and can make the clay as hard as fiberglass then hey ok.....African gourds are the hardest. American gourds, can be hard or soft,depends where in the states they come from.Georgia gourds versus California.Soft and Hard.. the Gourd Farm in Orange County California may have the best, unless u can get them in Israel....they can run u 10 bucks a gourd here unstrung.....Drummer for Peace....JC JOHNNY CONGA....

[timo]

yeah my friend has a kiln and i can make them really hard, remember i make UDU drums also.
thats exactly the thing there is no chance of getting gourds here, unless i go to Africa. but thats very unlikely, so...
i just work with what i have

[120-1016659394]

how exactly do you dry the gord. i tryed doing it last summer and it just roted.

[JohnnyConga]

Now I've never grown gourds but these are grown in the ground and as they grow you sit them up, that is why the bottem becomes round. when the gourd is grown you cut the STEM and let it sit and will dry and harden on it's own. .....this is what I've been told...i always buy them already to go....At your Service JC JOHNNY CONGA.....

[120-1016659394]

wait, so are they hard before you "gut" them? ???

[JohnnyConga]

Yes once the gourd is cut from it's umbilical cord and you leave it sit for awhile it will harden on it's own. At your Service....JC JOHNNY CONGA.....