BéréSanké Percussion, Kocassalé Dioubaté, Hand-made drums, Workshops, Performances
Hand-made African drums, instruments, music, workshops and performances.
Balafon
The name “balafon” comes from the Mandingo word bala, which means to speak. It is thought to be the precursor to other similar instruments around the world, like the Marimba in other areas of Africa and in South and Central America, and the xylophone in the West.
The traditional balafon has 18-21 keys, though they can be found in all sizes. The keys are smoked and hardened over fire, then suspended on a bamboo frame in ascending size. Gourd resonators of graduated sizes are placed below the keys, and each gourd has a second hole on the side covered with spider cocoon fibers (or more recently with cigarette paper), which results in the beautiful resonant sound.
The balafon is played by the Griot caste (traditional storytellers, historians and musicians) using rubber-tipped sticks.
The Griot tell a tale about the first Balafon, and what is reputed to be that very instrument (the Soso Bala) has been kept since 1975 under guard by the Kouyaté family in Nyagossola, in the northern region of Haute-Guinée. The Soso Bala, the very first Balafon, is a national treasure of Guinea, and is played only once a year.
Read the Griot's tale about the very first Balafon
| Account | Cart | Checkout |
Your Order quantity = 0 total = $0.00 |
WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS: Click on the Account link and log in BEFORE adding items to your shopping cart.
|
Balafon - 10 keys
$200.00
|
Balafon - 14 keys
$275.00
|
||
|
Balafon - 18 keys
$575.00
|
Balafon - 22 keys
$625.00  
|
Check these out:
  |
  |
  |
