The African Balafon

The balafon is a West African idiophone that is similar to a xylophone. It is a “tuned” percussion instrument, which means that it can play various pitches, melodies, and harmonies. The balafon originates as far back as the 12th century. It has not evolved much from that time.

It is an instrument that can be made of found objects, such as large gourds (calabash) for resonators (these are underneath the keys and allow the sound to carry further and louder). This instrument is used to play folk songs, and sometimes plays a part in religious rituals. People often dance to balafon melodies. The keys (bars) are always made of wood and tied to the frame by leather or fabric cords.

Listen to a sample of the balafon:

Photo(s) Attribution
Description: balafon, balafon player
Source: wikimedia

Audio Attribution
Description: xylophone/balafon in mali
Source: Freesound - adamfk