Gourd Rattle - Axatse

The gourd rattle is a hollowed-out gourd covered with a net of seeds or beads. It is popularly known as AXATSE in the volta region of Ghana and being played in many different numbers of ways. When sitting down, it is held at the handle and in the players strong hand and is shaken up hitting the hand and down hitting the thigh making two different sounds. It is mostly played alongside with the gankogui to enrich and reinforce what the gankogui plays. Conclusively, the gourd rattle populary known as axatse in the ewe land gives energy to the music and drives the music. The axatse produces a dry ratting but energetic sound.