Kîgamba is a single bell rattle and Ciigamba are many. It is used by the Kikuyu community of Kenya. Kîgamba uses chuma - metal made using the art of smithing. Inside the folded metal are two to three recycled bicycle bearings or folded metal balls, sometimes dried seeds from birds of paradise plants are placed inside to produce a rattle sound.  It is attached to a dried farmed animal skin to protect the dancer/player’s skin who ties it on the ankle. 

There has been some evolution in materials used for this instrument, supposedly the fabrication process shifted too. The process is thought to involve a foundry sand to make a mold into which molten metal is poured into for making the instrument then shaped after  recycled bicycle bearings are placed inside and wrapped on skin ready to be played. 

 

It should be noted that people often refer to kibege as kîgamba. In the early days of postcolonial Kenya when music was being introduced in schools, some might not have had the capacity of having blacksmith tutors to teach the making of the kîgamba instruments thus the teachers are thought to have created  an alternative way of making kîgamba instrument using tin cans which were much easier for the students to fold resulting to identity shift from kîbege to kîgamba.   

 

Traditional dances that are thought to be associated with kîgamba are:

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​Kîbuîya dance for kids which is known as children’s first dance in a Kikuyu community of which they tie the small tin rattle on their right leg to stamp as an accompaniment.

 

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