Shaker Musical - Rwanda
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These musical shakers are hand crafted from natural dried gourds and local wood. They are made by a craftswoman, Petronille Uwimana, who has over 20 years of experience. Scroll down to read more about Petronille's story!
Features
- Made from dried gourds and local wood
- Musical shakers are not intended to be children's toys
- Approximately 2.5" x 8" to 3.5" x 10". Musical shakers vary in size and shape because they are made of natural, home-grown gourds
- Handcrafted in Rwanda
Artisan Story
Skilled artisans partner with Azizi Life, a fair trade organization in Rwanda to bring beautifully designed, handcrafted goods to the world. Azizi Life invests in a range of community impact projects including adult literacy classes and they are dedicated to the wellbeing of their artisan partners and their families.
How does Petronille make her musical shakers? Once her gourds are grown, harvested, hollowed and dried, the art can begin. Petronille takes her specially-made tools and heats them to red-hot in a charcoal fire. Then she carefully pushes the hot metal rod through the dried gourd, forming a pattern with each small hole that is created. She has to be careful to make enough holes to bring out her design and create a good shaker sound, but not so many that the gourd becomes weak. Petronille then carves the shaker handle from a branch of a local tree, creating a simple design with black paint over the engraved wood. She fills the gourd with a handful of flower seeds, glues on the handle, and voila - a musical shaker has been born.
About Us
Villages Port Colborne is located along the shore of the Niagara Peninsula. Where the Welland Canal and Lake Erie meet, in the heart of Port Colborne, we have been fair trade since 1984. We carry unique, handcrafted goods that are ethically made from artisans around the world. If you’re in the Southern Ontario area, we welcome you to visit us in-person!
