Balafon

What it means

The balafon is a West African xylophone: a row of tuned wooden bars mounted over individual calabash gourds that act as resonators, struck with mallets. It is among the oldest instruments still played today, with origins traced back to the founding of the medieval Mali Empire in the 13th century.

Each gourd is tuned to the pitch of the bar above it and amplifies its sound. Many gourds also have a small hole cut into the side, covered with a thin membrane of spider-egg silk or cigarette paper; struck notes set this membrane buzzing, giving the tone its characteristic rasping edge.

Musical use

The balafon is closely tied to the Mande culture of West Africa, especially the Malinke people, and is played today mainly in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and neighboring countries. It is traditionally played by griots, the musicians, storytellers, and keepers of oral history in West African societies.

The balafon should be distinguished from the marimba, which developed from it, and from other African lamellophones such as the kalimba, which uses plucked metal or wooden tongues rather than struck bars.

Performance practice

Hold the mallets loosely at the wrist and let them bounce off the center of the bar after striking, so the tone can ring freely. Pay attention to the position of the gourds beneath the bars: if they shift, the buzzing overtone that gives the balafon its characteristic sound changes as well.