Kabaro

The kabaro is a hand drum which originated in the Sidamo province of Southern Ethiopia. It is reserved for funeral rituals and religious ceremonies.

The instrument is made from the hollowed out section of a tree trunk into which small hard particles are inserted. The trunk is then covered with two cow leather membranes, so that one can be tuned higher than the other, by further tightening the skin. They come in pairs and have specific functions. One of them is known as the "lion" and the other is known as the "lamb". The lion as it's name alludes to is used in times of war and the lamb is used in times of peace.

Some of these drums are of great antiquity and made of silver instead of wood. These drums are especially sacred. One of 3 drums captured at the battle of Magdala was broken into 3 pieces and is being sought after by the Ethiopian citizenry, as they are a very important symbol of the history, spirituality and independent spirit of the Ethiopian people. When drums of this import are captured it has a demoralizing effect on the people and is on par with the capture of the king in a game of chess, thus signifying the end of the game.

A similar style of drum is used throughout East Africa, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, where they are known by the generic name "ngoma" meaning drum and applied to a wide ranging group of drums of various sizes and shapes. The word "ngoma" also has spiritual connotations as evidenced in Southern Africa where it is part of the word for the traditional healers and spirit mediums known as "sangoma".