Meaning
A rattle or maraca — a hand percussion shaker, named for the 'shak-shak' sound it makes, used in mento, kumina, revival, and folk music to keep the rhythm. The word also names the poinciana (and related) tree whose dry seed pods rattle in the wind like the instrument, and children shake them for the same effect.
Examples
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Shake di shak-shak pon di beat.
Shake the shaker on the beat.
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Di mento band have banjo, drum, an shak-shak.
The mento band has a banjo, drum, and shaker.
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Di shak-shak tree pod dem a rattle inna di breeze.
The shak-shak tree pods rattle in the breeze.
Origin
Onomatopoeic, from the rattling sound. Also names the poinciana pod. See [[scraper]], [[poinciana]].
How it’s used
A rattle/maraca in folk music; also the rattling seed pod of the poinciana tree.