BéréSanké Percussion, Kocassalé Dioubaté, Hand-made drums, Workshops, Performances

Hand-made African drums, instruments, music, workshops and performances.

Gongoma

The Guinean Gongoma is often referred to as a "thumb piano".

 

This instrument is found among many different ethnic groups across the African diaspora, and is made and played in different ways by each tribe. It is known as the Sanza, Kisanji, Mbila, Marimbula among others, but the most popular of these would probably be the Kalimba or the Mbira from the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe. Theirs is a wooden board with anywhere from 6 - 28 staggered metal keys attached to it, and it is often placed inside a large, hollowed half-gourd, which acts as a large resonator to amplify its sound.

 

The Gongoma is actually built right into the gourd, with a plywood top fitted with 3 - 8 metal keys. A hole in the plywood allows the beautiful resonant sound to escape. This modernization of the West African idiophone was the innovation of the great Guinean musician Koca Bangora (Director of the first Ballets Africains) in the 50s.

 

The idiophone - any musical instrument that creates sound primarily by way of the instrument itself vibrating – is thought to be the oldest type of musical instrument in the world.

 

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Gongoma 8" - African Fabric $55.00	Gongoma 12" - African Fabric $95.00
Gongoma 16" - African Fabric $145.00	Gongoma 16" - Red/Green/Gold $145.00

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