Yaka Musical Instrument

The Yaka tribe from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola uses rattles in their music, primarily for ceremonial, spiritual, and storytelling purposes. These rattles are made from materials like gourds, wood, or woven fibers, filled with seeds or stones, and sometimes decorated.
 
They are used in initiation rituals, spiritual dances, and storytelling, often accompanying other instruments like drums or thumb pianos, the latter referred to as sakila. Rattles, whether handheld or attached to dancers' legs, create rhythmic sounds that symbolize the cycle of life and help connect with ancestral spirits. They are both functional instruments and meaningful cultural artifacts.
 
Tribe:
Yaka, Democratic Republic of Congo
 
wood, plant fiber