Among the Batabwa (or Tabwa), a people of Katanga and Tanganyika, the likembe is much more than an instrument: it accompanies funeral rites, initiations, healings, and epic tales.

Carved from precious wood and fitted with metal tines made from recycled materials, each Tabwa thumb piano often bears geometric patterns and cosmological symbols characteristic of the ethnic group's tribal art.

The body of the drum is made from a calabash, a dried gourd, and is covered with a stretched membrane, likely animal skin. The upper edge is decorated with colorful beads and cowrie shells, typical of ritual and ceremonial instruments.

These drums are often used in ritual, ceremonial, or festive contexts. They can accompany dances, songs, and serve in rites of passage or other significant social events.

Calabash drums decorated in this manner are common among several ethnic groups such as the Yoruba, Bamiléké, and other peoples of West and Central Africa.