What is xalam used for?
Sometimes the octave strings are referred to as the “kora strings,” since they could be strummed to imitate a kora, or harp-lute. Performance Contexts: In traditional contexts, the xalam is most often used to accompany spoken and sung histories and praise songs.
What kind of instrument is the xalam?
lute chordophone
The xalam, in its standard form, is a simple lute chordophone with one to five strings. The wooden body (soundbox) membranophone of the instrument is oval-shaped and covered with the hide of cattle.
When was the balafon invented?
Believed to have been developed independently of the Southern African and South American instrument now called the marimba, oral histories of the balafon date it to at least the rise of the Mali Empire in the 12th century CE.
How is the akonting played?
The music of the akonting is short sustained notes that are played over and over again. Usually they are between two to three notes. The mechanics involved in playing the akonting is the regular sounding of the short string (drone string) when playing any melody. It acts as a drum to add beauty to the melody.
What is a Khalam?
Xalam, also called khalam, is a traditional stringed musical instrument from West Africa. The wooden body (soundbox) of the instrument is oval-shaped and covered with the hide of cattle. The strings of the xalam are typically made of nylon; these strings are fixed to the instrument’s wooden neck by leather rings.
Where is the mbira instrument from?
Africa
The Mbira or African thumb piano (other identifying names include: kalimba – contemporary term; the most popular term is either sansa, or mbira) is a percussive instrument originating from Africa. The instrument, also used in Cuban music, is generally held with both hands and played with the thumbs.
What is an African griot?
griot, Mande jeli or jali, Wolof gewel, West African troubadour-historian. The griot profession is hereditary and has long been a part of West African culture. In addition to serving as the primary storytellers of their people, griots have also served as advisers and diplomats.
What kind of instrument is balafon?
xylophones
The Mandinka balafon, also called the bala or the balphone, is a kind of idiophone (an instrument which creates sound by vibrating). In the West, instruments like this are called xylophones.
How big is the balafon?
Percussion Balafon (Xylophones)
| Sizes | Keys/Notes | L x W x H |
|---|---|---|
| X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large | 6 Keys 7-8 Keys 10-12 Keys 15-16 18-21 Keys | 7″ x 6 x 5″ 10.5″ x 8″ x 5″ 18″ x 10″ x 5″ 27″ x 13.5″ x 8″ 41″ x 17″ x 12″ |
Who plays Akonting?
Laemouahuma Daniel Jatta plays the akonting, an African instrument that may be a precursor to the banjo. “My father was born with this instrument,” Laemouahuma Daniel Jatta says. “This is part of our history.” Jatta, 55, is from Gambia, a member of the Jola people.
What does a Sackbut look like?
Unlike the earlier slide trumpet from which it evolved, the sackbut possesses a U-shaped slide, with two parallel sliding tubes, which allows for playing scales in a lower range. In modern English, an older trombone or its replica is called a sackbut.
What are examples of chordophones?
In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, string instruments are called chordophones. Other examples include the sitar, rebab, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and bouzouki. According to Sachs, Chordophones are instruments with strings.