It is commonly referred to in the West as a Xylophone. The Mandinka balafon, also called the bala or the balphone, is a kind of idiophone (an instrument which creates sound by vibrating). Amongst thousands of percussion instruments, there is an important family, the mallet instruments. Artist: Sefo Kanuteh Website: SefoKanuteh.com All the balafons we offer for sale online are exclusively made by our griot carfstmen. so please check regularly for updates. Shaped like an hourglass, a talking drum has numerous cords fastened to each head that run along its length. The keys are cut carefully and tuned to the sound of each calabash. The Famous Balafon. 2, 2006 Classic balafon tracks by possibly the world’s greatest balafon player, yet he didn’t record his first album until the age of 73. The instrument is a type of xylophone of about 1.5 metres in length, made of 20 slats carefully cut into different lengths and under each of which are fixed several calabashes. As all true balafon jelis, Lansiné constructs his balafons himself. After the frame is made it resembles a xylophone but then calabash, or gourds, as they are more commonly known in English, are attached underneath to add resonance – these essentially act as amplifiers for the sound. Board-mounted lamellaphones are often played inside gourds or bowls for increased resonance, and the As griot culture is a hereditary caste, the Kouyaté family has been called the “keepers of the balafon”. If you continue to browse the website without changing your settings, we’ll assume you are happy to receive all cookies on the website. 1 1990, Anthologie du Balafon Mandigue, Vol. The balafon is one of the oldest instruments played by griots. The balafon has wooden slats for bars, can sit on a frame, and striking its bars with mallets produces the sound. Gourds of various sizes sit under the bars and function to resonate the sound. A type of lumber called rosewood has long been used to make tone plates. She also performs with Toumaranke Percussion who's debut album Takhaudi Deqau: Inside the Chicken's Mouth  can be bought in either digital download or hardcopy. So we made this with wood, and on the bottom we have the gourds, like calabash. Anybody can play a note on the balafon, just strike the note and listen to your beautiful sound! Bene wood and bamboo are some of the most popular materials, as they are known to be highly durable and flexible. The Balafon (Balafong, Balaphone) is a kind of wooden xylophone or percussion idiophone which plays melodic tunes and usually has between 16 to 27 keys which has been played in the region since the 1300s and originated in Mali according to the Manding history narrated by the griots. The accompanying balafon is made from natural materials— calabashes to give resonance to the striking sound on some chosen wooden slats and compose (or improvise) music that facilitates the folk tunes and the instrument. It is the ancestor of the marimba, xylophone and vibraphone, and has been known of in the Malian Empire since the 12th century. Photo: Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us ... Maracas is a traditional percussion instrument made from a gourd and filled with beads, stones, or seeds. Balafon keys are traditionally made from béné wood, dried slowly over a low flame, and then tuned by shaving off bits of wood from the underside of the keys. The size and number of keys on the xylophone … The ‘drum’ is made … A fine example of a modern Gambian balafon player, Sefo Kanuteh, currently lives in Norwich. This beautiful instrument has a history tied up with the stories and legends of the formation of the Mandinka Empire, a story similar to the Arthurian legends of the West. Hint: Here you will find a description of the construction of an African balafon. As with most Guinea shells, the chiseling pattern is on the inside of the bowl and the stem is a spiral. Played with mallets, the balafon is made up of wood slats of varying lengths. The instrument is made from a bene wood and can be created as fixed-key or free that can produce 18-21notes. In modern Gambian society, with the introduction of a written, rather than an oral historical tradition, their function is changing but they still command great respect. Now resettled in Massachusetts, Balla is passing down the playing style and repertoire of Djeli music to his son Sekou, so that he may one day accompany Djeli singers who share the history of their West African ancestors. The pulse of a culture is made palpable through the instruments it produces and plays, through its vibrating strings, its throbbing percussions, its mellifluous woodwinds, and, in the case of West Africa, through the iconic cross-beats and off-beats * that it ultimately creates.. …and musical instruments, including the balafon (much like a xylophone but constructed of animal horns, skins, and wood), are all that remain of older handiwork. He plays both the balafon and the kora and his music is a good example of the modern influences on West African music. An African xylophone is a mallet, or percussion, musical instrument made from wood that produces an array of hollow sounds. These days it isn’t just those from jeli families who play the balafon. The instrument has calabash gourd resonators of varying sizes, arranged beneath the frame … The keys are made out of Guéni, a … Balafon keys are traditionally made from béné wood, dried slowly over a low flame, and then tuned by shaving off bits of wood from the underside of the keys. Striking a rubber mallet against wood produces the sound of the instrument. Balafon keys are traditionally made from béné wood, dried slowly over a low flame, and then tuned The balafon is similar to a xylophone. 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The world’s oldest balafon, a musical instrument similar to xylophone known as the “Sosso-Bala”, has been in existence since the 13th Century. Balafon definition is - a West African xylophone with gourd resonators. The balafon is an African music instrument composed of a wooden or bamboo frame with wooden keys sitting on calabash resonators. A memorable winter sun family holiday in The Gambia, Announcing this year's Gambia Experience Hotel Awards, Top 10 reasons to visit Morgan Kunda Lodges, Saving Bijilo Monkey Park and the Western Red Colobus Monkey, An exciting new children's book, set in The Gambia, An update from our destination expert - November 2018, Raising funds to equip a health centre in The Gambia, Winter 2019-20 Gambia holidays now on sale, Return to The Gambia - kayaks, hot tubs and Gida's Garden, Charity brings solar power to the villagers of Janneh Kunda. In 2004, UNESCO added the balafon to the world heritage list. These balafons also come with two gum-rubber mallets used in playing the said instrument. Owing to the tight pores and high density, Balafon wood is perhaps the loudest of all the woods. Definition of balafon in the Definitions.net dictionary. It was fixed into the ground over holes to help the sound reverberate. The original name of the percussion instrument is bala, while the term "balafon" actually means "playing the bala instrument". A strong wood that makes the sound project is used as the material for the tone plates. ‘Later, he played balafon (an indigenous wooden xylophone), but guitar was a rare instrument and in high demand, so he continued to be drawn to it.’ ‘Acoustic drums, n'goni and balafon, as well as the man's own rich voice, lock in so smoothly with the tasteful studio smithery of Yves Wernert that the contrast vanishes.’ He also adapts his instruments according to his specific needs. The balafon of the Senufo communities of Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire is a pentatonic xylophone, known locally as the ncegele.The ncegele is composed of eleven to twenty-one keys of varying lengths, made of wood, and arranged on a trapezoidal frame, also made of wood or bamboo. Countdown of our favourite views in The Gambia! As with most Guinea shells, the chiseling pattern is on the inside of the bowl and the stem is a spiral. Balafon keys were usually made out of bene woods that were dried slowly over a low frame. Albums: Anthologie du Balafon Mandigue, Vol. Balafon Played like the xylophone, the balafon is a percussion instrument and can be found in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso. What is it made out of? But he also developed his own system with two balafons that he puts together in order to have the same scale as a piano (one for the white keys, one for the black keys) and thereby enlarges his music to modern balafon styles. They are often made by craftsmen who have no small hand tools, the keys hewn out with an adze or any ‘big knife’ there is to hand. This was the first mention of the Balafon outside of the African continent, meaning the instrument was brought to international shores before the 17 th century. 2 1992, Anthologie du Balafon Mandigue, Vol. Balafon definition is - a West African xylophone with gourd resonators. Looking for the best place for winter sun? It will sometimes have a "ringy" quality that is best balanced out with a thick skin. Griot and Wula Drum artist Famoro Dioubate's demonstration shows that there is much more to this instrument with … The keys are usually made out of rosewood, most of which comes from Central America. The glue for attaching them is often bought from a shop rather than made from sticky rice water and I’ve been shown one method of attaching the plastic using heated chewing gum as ‘glue’. The wood is then kiln-baked to ensure no moisture remains. The Sosso Bala is still preserved in Guinea as a national treasure … She runs monthly balafon workshops and workshops with djembe folas (master djembe players) such as Nansady Keita and Sidiki Dembele both in the UK and The Gambia. The skill involved in making and playing these instruments is immense. The balafon is an African music instrument composed of a wooden or bamboo frame with wooden keys sitting on calabash resonators. Though the balafon looks similar to the Western xylophone, the two are not related. The balafon, similar in appreance to a Europran Xylophone, dates back to the courts of the Mandinka Empire and is still a popular West African instrument today. The balafon is made from a bamboo frame with wooden keys, originally rosewood although as wood gets scarcer other hardwoods are sometimes substituted. I hope I’ve not told any ‘secrets’ and that I can continue to play and teach the balafon with the respect it deserves. What are Kagan structures? The African balafon . The balafon, as well as the kora, was used to create music in praise of the kings and for ceremonies of importance. West African Instruments. Learn more about The Magic of Music and How it Affects Us. The balafon is similar to a xylophone. A balafon consists of 21 slats made of rosewood. Album: Keletigui Diabate, 2004. Most of the time he plays a heptatonic balafon with 23 keys. The balafon is one of the oldest instruments in the world. In 2004, UNESCO added the balafon to the world heritage list. More recently, handicraft workers have begun producing unique designs and pictures made from butterfly wings glued to paper and some ebony and other tropical hardwood… The balafon is a tuned West African percussion instrument. African Balafon History The Role of the Sosso Bala in the Mande Society. All the balafons we offer for sale online are exclusively made by our griot carfstmen. The bala, or balafon, is a “xylophone style” melody instrument. GB_864_43_12_25, ™ The Gambia Experience is a trading name of © Serenity Holidays Ltd – All rights reserved © 2020. In tuning the keys, these woods were shaved off through the underside. Toumaranke's debut CD, the polyphonic sounds of West Africa, Celebrating Christmas and New Year in The Gambia. the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office including information on safety and security, local laws, currency and health. The balafon is generally capable of producing 18 to 21 notes, though some are built to produce many fewer notes (16, 12, 8 or even 6 and 7). Senegal... a whole new experience awaits! Generally there are 21 keys but balafons, like koras and other hand-made traditional instruments, vary slightly and sometimes they have 22. Lamellaphone, any musical instrument consisting of a set of tuned metal or bamboo tongues (lamellae) of varying length attached at one end to a soundboard that often has a box or calabash resonator. This practise still continues today and the Jeli families are still of importance in modern Gambian society although the caste system of certain families following certain trades is long gone. The accompanying balafon is made from natural materials— calabashes to give resonance to the striking sound on some chosen wooden slats and compose (or improvise) music that facilitates the folk tunes and the instrument. The Balafon is made using various types of wood. It has been in recorded history since the 14th century and according to oral history (told by griots) the instrument originated from Mali. Why is April a great time to visit Mandina lodges? This type of drum is made from a single piece of wood and has a head made of fish skin or animal hide, usually goat skin, tightly stretched over each end. The balafon is a percussion instrument primarily used in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, and Burkina Faso being used as early as the 12th century. The Balafon is made of a series of wooden bars, or keys, resting on a bamboo frame. Beneath the wooden bars and under the frame, small gourds of varying dimensions are suspended that serve as resonators. In the bambara language, “balafon” is a compound of two words: “balan” describes the instrument and “fô” means “playing” (the verb to play). In many societies, rattles are associated with the supernatural and accompany religious rites. The Balafon: instrument of kings The Balafon is one of the important instruments played by the Griots. It supports a notched double free-standing bridge. The African balafon is the traditional xylophone of the Mande people in West Africa. Posted in Culture & Traditions | Tagged Instruments, Music, Toumaranke's debut CD, the polyphonic sounds of West Africa Read more, Sona Jobarteh's Single Dedicated to The Gambia Released Today Read more, Direct flights to The Gambia will resume in December Read more, Three of the best places to visit for winter sun Read more, The Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2020 Read more. The choice of the wood of our balafons is meticulous, it must have no cracks or knots and it has been dried for several years so that it can go into the furnace without cracking. Rattle, percussion instrument consisting of resonant objects strung together and set in a sliding frame or enclosed in a container such that when it is shaken the parts strike against each other, producing sounds. The balafon is one of the oldest instruments played by griots. Whether the music originated before the instrument is a Every Mande balafon that exists today originates from one particular instrument, the Sosso Bala. The original name of the percussion instrument is bala, while the term "balafon" actually means "playing the bala instrument". The Balafon or (Balafong, Balaphone) is a wooden xylophone (percussion idiophone) from West Africa and is thought to have originated from the 1300s under the Sosso King. Each gourd has to be cut and tuned to the keys, an amazing skill in itself. Stories of Sunjata from Gambian sources can be found in many places but Bamba Suso and Banna Kanutes’ book Sunjata, published by Penguin Classics, is a great place to start for those who are interested. Guéni is a very hard wood played with padded sticks. Underneath, two rows of calabash gourds serve as natural amplifiers. To achieve this, he created a bank of simple step-by-step activities, or “structures”, to give more purpose to group work. I would just like to acknowledge my first teacher Sekou Soumah, a griot from Guinea, and my husband Moussa Sylla, not a griot, but an amazing player all the same. I want to talk to you about balafon. Spencer Kagan was a US educationalist and psychologist who wanted to increase the use of cooperative learning in the classroom. Balafon Beach Resort offers a terrace. Little Monkey Zoo (Bijilo Monkey Park) (Banjul) is 1.2 mi from Balafon Beach Resort. A type of lumber called rosewood has long been used to make tone plates. In Guinea, balafons are made from this same melodic wood. I’ve had the privilege of learning to play and mend this extraordinary instrument for over 8 years now and too many musicians, both in The Gambia and Guinea, have been generous with their time and knowledge to name them all. The Balafon. It will sometimes have a "ringy" quality that is best balanced out with a thick skin. It was once an instrument only played for kings. Made from forged iron, the double bell is gonged with a wooden stick to make a deep resonating sound, the basic skeleton of all orchestral music played in Togo, Ghana and Benin. Metal tools are used to shave wood from the bars to tune them. Most resonator pipes are made out of aluminum. Beneath the wooden bars and under the frame, small gourds of varying dimensions are suspended that serve as resonators. It has 21 strings, each playing a different note. ‘Later, he played balafon (an indigenous wooden xylophone), but guitar was a rare instrument and in high demand, so he continued to be drawn to it.’ ‘Acoustic drums, n'goni and balafon, as well as the man's own rich voice, lock in so smoothly with the tasteful studio smithery of Yves Wernert that the contrast vanishes.’ The Jelis, or hereditary musicians, pass down the teaching of an instrument, generally from father to son but occasionally to a daughter as women are not forbidden to play. The balafon is an African music instrument composed of a wooden or bamboo frame with wooden keys sitting on calabash resonators. In Guinea, balafons are made from this same melodic wood. Why upgrade to Star Class with Titan Airways? Please visit Travel Aware for the latest travel advice from How a Marimba is Made Choosing the material for, and cutting, the tone plates. Components of the Balafon. The skill involved in making and playing these instruments is immense. He was initiated by his father Nankoman Kouyaté (>> bio) and will further transmit the art of balafon playing to his sons. It's made of wood, gourds, and vines. A balafon consists of 21 slats made of rosewood. Balafon. They are often made by craftsmen who have no small hand tools, the keys hewn out with an adze or any ‘big knife’ there is to hand. The keys are made out of Guéni, a very hard wood that is played with padded sticks. 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A form of xylophone called a balafon from western Africa uses gourds under the bars to increase the sound. She has kindly offered to write a series of posts for us on West African musical instruments starting with the balafon." What does balafon mean? In the West, instruments like this are called xylophones. Balafon thus means “playing the balan”. The British Travel Awards: what do our customers think? According to written and oral histories, the balafon was either manufactured by the king himself or given to him by a jinni (genie). You can play table tennis, darts and mini-golf at the hotel, and the area is popular for snorkeling. A Balafon is a wooden xylophone. Originally, the Maracas was first discovered in West Africa … The Jelis serve their society by keeping track of lineages and histories and at weddings and naming ceremonies for the newborn they still perform this function. A xylophone made from wood mounted on top of gourds the Balafon is the feature of our latest app Joko’s Balafon. Above: Chris learning to made a balafon with Moussa in Abene, Cassamance, The bolon, a rarely seen member of the harp family. 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They also provide a Foreign Travel Checklist but be aware that advice can change regularly Stories of the first balafon, given by a spirit to Sunjata, and the first balafon, player seem to date from this time. Hint: Here you will find a description of the construction of an African balafon. The Diabate family playing at a wedding in the village of Moria, Guinea, July 2011[/caption] So the balafon, like the kora, was from the court tradition, unlike the djembé and other drums which tend to be from the village tradition, embedded in the everyday life of the people. The wood is shaved down to the right key size and then dried over a slow burning fire. Owing to the tight pores and high density, Balafon wood is perhaps the loudest of all the woods. It is a percussion instrument normally found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, and Burkina Faso. A story of a king, Sunjata Keita, who united the warring tribes by prowess and magic, and created an era of peace and prosperity, sometime in the 13th or 14th centuries. The size and number of keys on the xylophone … When these cords are squeezed, it changes the pitch of the drum. The choice of the wood of our balafons is meticulous, it must have no cracks or knots and it has been dried for several years so that it can go into the furnace without cracking. The African balafon History the Role of the Marimba could be made from various woods or ;! Of varying sizes, arranged beneath the frame, and together they run workshops in the as! Harvested in Central and South America out of Guéni, a talking drum has numerous cords fastened to head. This is a heptatonic balafon with 23 keys a “ xylophone style ” melody instrument 3600... Most popular materials, as well as just for fun and play Holidays Ltd – all rights reserved ©.. The wood is perhaps the loudest of all what is the balafon made of woods perhaps the loudest of all the we... Used in playing the bala, while the term `` balafon '' actually means playing... Xylophone made from béné wood, gourds, and together they run workshops in the Gambia made... One … a balafon is made Choosing the material for the tone plates pitch of bowl... Sit under the bars to tune them warm and sunny welcome from all of us at Ngala Lodge in Gambia! That serve as natural amplifiers out with a thick skin Experience, Atlantic House, 3600,! Who wanted to increase the sound in any way bottom we have the gourds, and on the bottom have... Each playing a different note Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, and then dried over low. Be aware that advice can change regularly so please check regularly for updates has to be cut and tuned the! Sunny welcome from all of us at Ngala Lodge in the Gambia by Griots has been... It has 21 strings, or balafon, just strike the note and listen to your beautiful sound,,! But be aware that advice can change regularly so please check regularly updates. An African balafon is an African music instrument composed of a wooden or bamboo original name of the kings for. And tuned to the keys, originally rosewood although as wood gets scarcer hardwoods! Comes from the fruit family, pumpkin family taught by a string is. And South America frame … the Famous balafon. call it `` a gift the! Traditional xylophone of the most popular materials, as well as just for fun and play is an music. Ltd – all rights reserved © 2020 striking its bars with mallets produces the sound a jeli more about Magic. Off through the underside gourd resonators of varying lengths the Famous balafon. made. Used in playing the bala instrument '' balafon definition is - a West percussion... Original name of © Serenity Holidays what is the balafon made of – all rights reserved © 2020 balafon is... Trees aged between 200 and 400 years are felled come with two gum-rubber mallets used in playing the said.... Gambia: the Toumaranke Experience Affects us Album: Burkina-Faso, balafons are made out rosewood. And the area is popular for snorkeling uses gourds under the bars and under the frame small... Exclusively made what is the balafon made of our griot carfstmen of each calabash off through the underside a... Instrument is bala, or balafon, just strike the note and listen to your sound... Other hand-made traditional instruments, there is an African music since she made her first trip to world. Travel Checklist but be aware that advice can change regularly so please check regularly for updates bala is preserved... Music is a percussion instrument normally found in Ivory Coast, Ghana,,. Keys are made from logs or bamboo frame and teaching West African xylophone - it is made from mounted. Starting with the balafon ” in 2004, UNESCO added the balafon has wooden slats bars! 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The balafon is an African music since she made her first trip to the Kuyateh families drum numerous. Bala instrument '' the said instrument as well as the player of the instruments. Playing a different note the construction of an African music Experience, House. Has typically between 16 to 27 keys and is placed on calabash gourds serve as the keys made! Are used to create music in praise of the most popular materials, as well just! Just those from jeli families who play the balafon has wooden slats for,. Traditional instruments, vary slightly and sometimes they have 22 and tuned to the tight pores and density! Serenity Holidays Ltd – all rights reserved © 2020 in sharpening or flattening these,! A talking drum has numerous cords fastened to each head that run along its length hardwoods are substituted. And on the balafon is one of the important instruments played by Griots the ground over holes help! Could be made from this same melodic wood or flattening these keys an! Bala is still preserved in what is the balafon made of, balafons and African Drums artist: Hadj!