Kuge
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The Kuge consists of two forged-iron bells joined with a loop. Each bell sounds a different pitch when struck. Because there are two pitches, the kuge can imitate words and so send messages. The Hausa people of Nigeria and Niger first used the kuge to introduce prayers or official announcements. Today instruments of this type are used in parts of the Caribbean and Brazil to accompany dancing.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| Two pitches, five notes apart. |
| Material |
| Forged iron bell with antelope-horn beater. |
| Size |
| About 11 in (28 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| Iron double bells like the kuge are used all over West and Central Africa. The kuge itself comes from the Hausa people of Nigeria and Niger. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The iron double bell is one of the instruments played in Brazil that can be traced back to Africa. |
