An African horn trumpet may be made from the horn of most any animal, such as elephant horns used by the Akan people of Ghana (crafted before legal bans on use of ivory) or a cow horn, as in the “side-blow” Ugandan trumpet known as the eng’ombe. A traditional African horn trumpet may appear more in ceremonial or ritual music than in popular music, though popular African musicians like
highlife pioneer E.T. Mensah and the
powerful Afro-beat musician Fela Kuti worked wonders in their music with saxophones, trumpets and trombones.