The Cabasa, originating from an instrument called afuche, is a percussion instrument that is constructed with loops of steel ball chain wrapped around a wide cylinder. The cylinder is fixed to a long, narrow wooden or plastic handle. It was originally of African origin, and constructed from dried oval- or pear-shaped gourds with beads strung on the outer surface. Our modern version is a more durable cabasa, sometimes called an afuche-cabasa. It provides a metallic, rattling sound, similar to the sound of a rattlesnake.