about the asalato
I play an instrument called the asalato, also called the kashaka (among many other names). It is originally from West Africa, but I primarily study the performance practice in Japan, where a subculture has been developing since the 1980s.
woodwork
woodwork is an Austin-based group equally embracing contemporary classical idioms and joyful indie rock melodies, immersed in the unique soundworld of the asalato/kashaka, marimba, and oboe. Acclaimed as “euphoric, ambient, and comforting” (Nopality Mag), their distinctive sound is grounded in both the indie classical scene and the composer-percussionist lineage. They have found success in live music platforms and venues across Austin, TX; sharing the stage with artists such as Ivan Trevino, Louis Raymond-Kolker, and Maru Haru.
woodwork was founded in the spring of 2025 at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin, and consists of Davin Cai (marimba), Thomas Alemandra (oboe), and Sebastian Zhang (asalato/kashaka).
infolato
infolato is a free online encyclopedia on the asalato, a West African shaker percussion instrument. It is a living document, and continually edited and updated by myself.
It includes resources on performance as well as notation, including a comprehensive notation system that I developed to notate the vast number of techniques possible on the asalato.