Table of Contents
How big is the balafon?
Approximately 19″-24″ inches long, 10-12 keys, and 4-7 gourds. Balafons may need tuning to have accurate tones on all keys. Made in West Africa.
How is a balafon different from a xylophone?
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. Each gourd has to be cut and tuned to the keys, an amazing skill in itself.
Is mbira an idiophone?
Mbira, also called mbila sansa, kilembe, likembe, timbrh, or thumb piano, plucked idiophone (instrument whose sounding parts are resonant solids belonging to the body of the instrument itself)—or more specifically, a lamellaphone—that is unique to Africa and widely distributed throughout the continent.
How does balafon sound like?
The balafon is amplified by small gourds underneath the keys, with small layers of film covering holes to create a unique buzzing sound. Some people say it sounds like an electric keyboard!
How old is the balafon?
The over 800-year-old instrument is now a national treasure in Guinea and still reminds the Mande of their glorious past. Even today, the African balafon tradition continues to play an important part to preserve the cultural identity of the Mande peoples in West Africa.
What is under the balafon?
It is commonly referred to in the West as a Xylophone. 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.
What is a murumba?
murumba, noun VendaShow more. A small drum of the Venda people of the Northern Transvaal.
What is the most distinct of mbira?
An important feature of mbira music is its cyclical nature, with each new repetition of a theme varying slightly from the last and incorporate numerous interwoven melodies, with contrasting and syncopated rhythms.
Why is it called the Jew’s harp?
There are many theories for the origin of the name jew’s harp. It has also been suggested that the name derives from the French “jeu-trompe” meaning “toy-trumpet”.
Which family of instruments does the balafon belong to?
Balafon
| Classification | West African wooden Percussion idiophone with up to 21 keys |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.212 (Sets of percussion sticks) |
| Developed | 12th century or earlier |
| Related instruments | |
|---|---|
| gyil, marimba, xylophone |
What is African musical instruments?
African musical instruments include a wide range of drums, slit gongs, rattles and double bells, different types of harps, and harp-like instruments such as the Kora and the ngoni, as well as fiddles, many kinds of xylophone and lamellophone such as the mbira, and different types of wind instrument like flutes and …