Eastern Angola, DRC and Zambia
Chokwe

Wood, metal, rattan
Pre-20th Century
 Length: 15.375 in, Width: 9.5 in, Depth: 5.125 in
Idiophone – Plucked – Lamellophone

Another variant of the sanza is the kisanji (“tyitanzi” – “cisaji” or “kissange”) of the Chokwe people.  It is a rectangular shaped lamellophone with 8 iron keys (lamellae) and a hollow rectangular-shaped box to amplify the sound. It has an encrusted patina and shows metal loops around two keys, so that when they are played a buzz quality is added to the sound.  According to Gerhard Kubik, in his 1998 book Kalimba, Nsansi, Mbira: Lamellophone in Afrika, the earliest thumb pianos in Africa appeared at least 3000 years ago.  They had bamboo tines (tongues/keys). Metal key lamellophones appeared later, around 1,300 years ago in the Zambezi River Valley.   Traditionally, the kisanji (cisaji) is played to attract the ancestors.   Through the instrument, the  cultural values of ancestors can be honored and kept alive.