**NB Images not to scale. 
 
Bring the heartbeat of Haitian streets, parades, and lakou straight into your living room with the Rara Starter Ensemble. This holiday bundle includes our best-selling bilingual board book plus five artisan-made instruments, handcrafted in Haiti for joyful, culture-rich play.
 
Designed for curious little hands and culture-keeping parents, this set invites children to explore rhythm, sound, and Haitian heritage all at once.
 
🎶 What’s Included
 
📚 Sounds of Haiti – Instruments Board Book
(Bilingual Kreyòl & English, with free audiobook)
A colorful, double-sided board book that introduces kids to two beloved Haitian musical traditions — Rara and Troubadour. Packed with rhythmic language, onomatopoeias, and key cultural vocabulary.
 
📯 Kone (Tin Horn / Ti Fa)
Crafted from recycled tin roofing, this mighty little horn plays the note F# and represents the smallest but boldest voice in the Rara orchestra.
 
🪗 Graj (Grater)
A staple of both Rara and Troubadour soundscapes. Made from recycled tin and sized perfectly for small hands, it keeps the beat and teaches timing and coordination.
 
🌟 Katchapouf Shaker
Light, bright, and named for its playful kat-cha-pouf sound. A sensory favorite that sneaks in a bit of phonics and rhythm practice with every shake.
 
🎶 Zizipan (Traditional Tambourine)
A wooden-frame tambourine with a natural animal-skin top. Each one is hand-painted by artisans, so no two are exactly alike — a beautiful keepsake and playable art piece.
 
🥁 Tanbou Lakay (Goat-Skin Drum) - 18 inch (TonTon Size Drum)
Handcrafted in the seaside hills of Jacmel, Haiti by artisan Ronald Louissaint, this real goat-skin drum is carved from the hollow trunk of the breadfruit tree and bound with recycled rice-sack rope. Designed to be sturdy enough for kids, meaningful enough to become a generational heirloom with proper care.
Includes: 1 drum, 2 wooden tuning sticks, and tuning instructions
Note: Tuning sticks are not drumsticks and shouldn’t be used for striking the drum head.
 
⭐ Optional Add-On: Banbou / Vaksen / Pip
(Available ONLY in the Limited Edition colorway)
Depending on the region, this traditional Rara wind instrument is called Vaksen, Banbou, or Pip. Traditionally made from bamboo or metal piping, our version is crafted from durable PVC to withstand enthusiastic play.
How it works:
Kids blow into the instrument while covering and uncovering the open end to change pitch, creating the call-and-response melodies that power Rara processions.
Why it matters:
Multiple banbou of different lengths are usually played together, creating layered harmonies that symbolize unity and community — central themes in Haitian celebrations.
 
🎨 Color: Only available in our Seasonal Limited Edition color
✨ Only the Limited Edition Rara Starter Ensemble can be purchased with all six instruments, including the Banbou.