# Calabash (percussion)

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African percussion instrument

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Calabash Percussionist (Mamadou Sarr) playing the Calabash with the bare hand technique Percussion instrument Classification percussion Hornbostel–Sachs classification 111.3

In African music, the **calabash** is a percussion instrument of the family of [idiophones](/source/Idiophones) consisting of a half of a large [calabash](/source/Calabash) gourd, which is struck with the palms, fingers, wrist or objects to produce a variety of percussive sounds.[1]

In [Tuareg music](/source/Tuareg_music), the *askalabo*[2] is a calabash "partly submerged in water, drummed to mimic camels' hooves".[3]

The calabash can also be used as a [sound board](/source/Sound_board_(music)): a [finger piano](/source/Finger_piano) (a flat board with a bridge on which prongs are fastened, that are then played with the fingers) can use a calabash for that purpose,[1] and the gongoma is a similar instrument, using saw blades on a bridge affixed over the calabash—the blades are plucked with the fingers, while the player taps the calabash with their other hand.[4]

A calabash can also be used as a resonator, in the case of the *umakhweyane*, a middle-braced calabash bow.[5]

Percussionists playing Calabash with both fists and fingers

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nzewi_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nzewi_1-1) Nzewi, Odyke; Nzewi, Meki (2007). [*A Contemporary Study of Musical Arts: Theory and practice of modern African classical drum music*](https://books.google.com/books?id=IYR4wHurL5YC&pg=PA1). A Contemporary Study of Musical Arts: Informed by African Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Vol. 5. African Minds. pp. 1, 4. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781920051686](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781920051686).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Peek, Philip M.; Yankah, Kwesi, eds. (2004). [*African Folklore: An Encyclopedia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Sd6SAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT1309). Routledge. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781135948726](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781135948726).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-davies_3-0)** Davies, Sam (1 August 2019). ["'My father said I should be looking after the cows': the first female Tuareg guitarist"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/aug/01/fatou-seidi-ghali-the-worlds-first-female-tuareg-guitarist). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 6 August 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Kalani](/source/Kalani_Das); Camara, Ryan M. [*World Rhythms! Arts Program presents West African Drum & Dance: A Yankadi-Macrou Celebration*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xk4GTQ3BCzsC&pg=PA38). Alfred Music. p. 38. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781457422331](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781457422331).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Dargie, Dave (2007). ["Umakhweyane': A Musical Bow and Its Contribution to Zulu Music"](http://www.jstor.org/stable/30249999). *African Music*. **8** (1): 60–81. [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [30249999](https://www.jstor.org/stable/30249999).

## External links

- [Video with calabash players](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7VHEqSNNz8)

Authority control databases MusicBrainz instrument Yale LUX

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