For the lele ethnic group the drum is a communal and sacred property and symbolize the harmony and concord necessary for the community. Its body is decorated with a mask in relief which determines it as lele, because the ngeende from the kuba group produce a similar drum without mask. Frequently, the drum wears in its resonance box one or several strange things, more or less bulky, that roll over its walls and skins when the instrument is rustled, making this way the function of a rattle.
