Instrument making
Uhadi bows, marimbas, djembes and kalimbas carved, tuned and finished in-house.
Qangi Qangi Sounds
Instruments carved for the people who play them from living wood
A small Eastern Cape workshop making bows, marimbas, drums and kalimbas by hand — recorded, archived and shipped worldwide.
Mr Luyolo Lenga (Founder & Managing Director)
Est. in the Eastern Cape
The workshop
Sound made slowly, by hand
Every instrument starts as a log on the bench and leaves as a voice. We season our own timber, cut and tune by ear, and record each finished build before it ships.
- Locally sourced, seasoned hardwoods and hides
- Tuned to A=440 or to your ensemble on request
- Every build photographed, recorded and archived
- Apprenticeships for young makers each season
What we do
Four disciplines, one workshop
Studio recording
Close-miked sessions, sample packs and scoring for film, theatre and dance.
Workshops
School residencies and weekend classes teaching carving, tuning and rhythm.
Archive & export
A growing sound archive, plus insured shipping of instruments worldwide.
Catalogue
Instruments currently in build
Uhadi Bow — Ceremonial
Uhadi Bow — Ceremonial
A single-string calabash bow with a deep resonant sweep, finished in beeswax and ochre.
R 6 400
Details
Marimba — Baritone
Marimba — Baritone
Kiaat bars over hand-tuned resonators, voiced for ensemble work and outdoor stages.
R 24 900
Details
Djembe — Studio Grade
Djembe — Studio Grade
Carved from a single trunk with a shaved goat skin head, tuned tight for close-miking.
R 8 750
Details
Kalimba — 17 Key
Kalimba — 17 Key
Pocket-sized thumb piano on a solid mahogany board with hand-filed steel tines.
R 1 250
Details
Talking Drum
Talking Drum
Tension cords let players bend pitch mid-phrase; built for touring and workshops.
R 5 100
Details
Shaker Set — Three Piece
Shaker Set — Three Piece
Gourd shakers strung with seed netting, graded light to heavy for layered rhythms.
R 940
Details
Listen
Recordings from the studio
Gallery
Inside the workshop
24
Years carving
9
Instrument families
150+
Artists supplied
12
Schools partnered
Voices
Played on stages and in classrooms
The baritone marimba they built for us has held its tuning through two full seasons of touring. Nothing else comes close.
I record the whole catalogue for scoring work. The bows in particular have a character you simply cannot sample from a library.
Their residency changed what our learners believe they can make with their own hands.
Commission an instrument
Tell us the ensemble, the room and the tuning. We will send a build plan, a timeline and a quote.
Contact
Visit, call or message the studio
Email
hello@qangiqangi.example
Phone
+27 82 000 0000
Studio
14 Mill Lane, Makhanda, Eastern Cape
Hours
Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 · Sat by appointment