Hosho

The hosho is an internal-seed rattle idiophone common throughout Zimbabwe especially amongst the Shona and the Ndebele peoples. Hosho are present in nearly all forms of ensemble music in Zimbabwe from spirit possession ceremonies, called bira, to recreational dance drumming. In these ensembles the hosho playerprovides a distinctive foundational rhythm that is so central to Zimbabwean musical sensibilities that it has been incorporated in contemporary Zimbabwean popular music via replication on the hi-hat cymbal of the trap set performed by the drummer.

This pair of hosho is crafted the traditional way, from a hollowed-out and dried mapudzi (a kind of pumpkin) gourd. Gourds with an elongated bend at their vine-end are preferred because they provide a natural handle for the performer. Several dozen small seeds from the hota plant are placed inside each gourd through a hole in their wall, which is in turn partially closed with a web-like covering of brass wire. Small river pebbles or dried corn kernels have historically also been used for the internal pellets. In modern-day Zimbabwe hosho may also be made from tin cans attached to stick handles, or imported maracas of various sizes and designs may substitute for the tradition model.