Balafon is a Manding name, but variations exist across West Africa, including the balangi in Sierra Leone [6] and the gyil of the Dagara, Lobi and Gurunsi from Ghana, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. Similar instruments are played in parts of Central Africa, with the ancient Kingdom of Kongo denoting the instrument as palaku.

2024年12月9日 · In this adapted excerpt from his book, Custodians of Wonder, author Eliot Stein becomes one of the first foreign journalists in history to see the Sosso-Bala, an ancient balafon that dates back...

2019年10月24日 · 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. "I can remember when I first heard someone playing the balafon in The Gambia, many years ago - I was transfixed; the skill and speed of the playing was outstanding.

2023年2月21日 · The balafon is a type of struck idiophone, specifically a gourd-resonated xylophone. It is closely associated with the Gur, Mandé, and Senufo peoples of West Africa, especially the Mandinka ethnic group’s Guinean branch. However, it is now prevalent throughout West Africa from Mali to Guinea.

2023年11月22日 · The Balafon is a wooden xylophone made from bamboo and gourd to resonate with sound. Its completely organic structure is one of the prime reasons why this instrument was made so early and has successfully survived through all these years.

The balafon’s origins date back to the 12th century, during the era of the Mali Empire. Historical accounts, including those by the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta in 1352, describe the balafon as a staple of royal courts. Its early association with the Mandé peoples underscores its significance as an instrument of praise and storytelling ...

2024年10月7日 · The balafon is a type of idiophone from West Africa, with a rich history dating back to the 12th century. The first emperor of the Mali empire, Sundiata Keita, is known as the Godfather of the Balafon. He united the warring tribes and brought a period of peace and prosperity to the Mandinka people.

2024年11月18日 · The Balafon is said to have been created in the 12th century in the Southern and Western parts of Africa region during the rise of the Mali Empire. Historically, the Balafon represents a symbol of age musical instrument crafted by Africans.

2024年11月6日 · The balafon, a West African xylophone, is a very old instrument dating back more than 800 years. First made in the times of the Original Mande region of West Africa (present-day Guinea, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, and Mali), the Susu (Sosso) bala is played primarily in Guinea and considered the first instrument of the Mande Jeli (“Griot ...

2020年5月13日 · The world’s oldest balafon, a musical instrument similar to xylophone known as the “Sosso-Bala”, has been in existence since the 13th Century. The ancient West African instrument can be ...