Hosho (instrument)

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For the Japanese aircraft carrier see Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō.

A pair of maranka gourd hosho.

Detail of hota (Canna indica) seeds and seed pods. Hota seeds are used in hosho.

The hosho is a Zimbabwean musical instrument consisting of a maranka gourd with seeds, usually hota (Canna indica) inside it, or net of beads around it and which often accompanies Shona music, especially mbira music. It is a type of rattle. A smaller version of the hosho is made of a wild orange called a damba, tied together with sticks and filled with hota seeds or pebbles.

Other related percussive instruments from Zimbabwe include the magavhu (leg rattle) and ngoma (drum).

[edit] Places to obtain hosho

Mbira.org Getting an mbira page at Erica Azim's site
Zambuko Solomon Murungu's site
Zimfest Festival Marketplace
Dandemutande Hosho subcategory in resource guide. See also the Dandemutande mailing list for the purchase of hosho.
MyLinda King's hosho & deze page
Inside Passage Seeds Forest Shomer's hosho.