We are very proud to present these eco high tech Twin Ball Rattle from Kengoma, Japan.
First Steps
How to repair a Hemp Patica
Material Quality & Sustainability
Like our amazing Bocarina nose flute the Kengoma Hemp Patica is a musical instrument made of synthetics which seems to not really fit into our natural material instruments range on the first sight. But - here too - the concept of minimizing plastics, the product quality and the sheer sustainability of this thelevi convinced us to become enthusiastic of this gorgeous rhythm wonder. In our opinion these twin ball rattles are the best available. And we tried many!
Their body is made of a 50% hemp fibre compound. That means the plastics content has been reduced to half. And that without reducing the sturdiness, playability or - most important - sound! The compound material is extremely strong - even when playing excessively. And in the unlikely case an elephant steps on it, it is easily glued.
The Hemp Patica are filled with small, edgy and light stones making it easy to play without too much muscle effort. If necessary the filling can be changed quite easy. This way you can adjust the sound, weight and bouncing characteristics.
Origin of the Twin Ball Rattle
The Thelevi, Patica, Asalato, Aslatua, Kosika or Kashaka originally comes from the West African region, where they are made of small dried gourds. On markets you can find them in many quality levels. But there's one problem with all gourd thelevi - it's their endurance. If you are really practicing a lot they break after a couple of weeks or months. The Kengoma Hemp Patica are literally "unbreakable".
Playability
The velvet-like surface of the hemp compound gives these televi a good grip to easily catch them. The length of the cord (approx. 12 cm / 4.7") can be adjusted. If you require a certain material for the string you can change it, too. The "elastic collision" characteristics are great, the balls bounce with the right dynamic that is necessary for a versatile play. The diameter of 5 cm (2") suits most hand sizes.
Sound
The sound is pretty good and well balanced between shaking an clacking. But in our opinion that of the traditional Gourd Thelevi is even slightly better. But that's of course a matter of taste.
Versatility
The Hemp Patica are wonderful rhythm instruments. You can combine shaking and clacking sounds and play with both hands to produce complex polyrhythms which is an efficient brain jogging, too.
Another advantage is their size. They are small enough to carry around almost always and everywhere - like a Jaw Harp.
Playing Instructions
The first steps are done quick. For simple rhythm it doesn't need too much practice. But if you invest some time to really learn to play them, you'll be able to do amazing things.
Just google around a little bit. There are several free instructions online in several languages. And there are many instruction videos on YouTube!