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Although Africans who were forcibly moved to the English colonies could not bring many, if any, possessions, they did bring the skills necessary to make new things. Gourds, which are easily grown in warm climates, have been used by Africans throughout history. The Shakerai and other objects made from gourds show how African skills and cultural traditions continued in America. These, along with other African skills, traditions, and customs, could not be taken away from them. The shakerai, a percussion instrument, is made by surrounding a hollow gourd with beads woven onto a net. The beads make a sound when the gourd is shaken or "clapped." Percussive rhythms are a basic element of African music. The African practice of shaping gourds for specific uses
as they were growing has led some historians to call gourds "the plastic of the
pre-modern world."
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