Description
Idolophone, Percussed
Xilofono
Africa, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Gambia and Ivory Coast, Central Africa.
Maintenance
The instrument includes basic maintenance (includes tuning and tuning of our instruments).
Warranty
LIFETIME WARRANTY. The warranty extends only to defects in materials or workmanship, does not apply to any defect caused by misuse, deterioration due to humidity, extreme temperatures, accidents or manipulation by third parties.
History of the Balaphon
Instrument of the xylophone family, is an edyphone consisting of a series of boards of different size that are tuned on a certain scale, they rest on a wooden structure and rod assembled with leather tientos. This structure contains a group of pumpkins, also of different size and tuning, which placed each under each table act as resonators.
The musician hits the boards with two wooden drumsticks that have a rubber or natural rubber head and thus cushions the blow producing a very beautiful and warm sound.
The origin of the Balaphon probably comes from the stone age, it is said that tribes of African hunters heard different notes on the woods they cut with their tools and aligning them because of their size sat to hear the pleasant sounds they produced. Then they made holes in the earth under each board and the sound changed: it seemed to reach from inside the human body or from the earth itself.
But the Balaphon as we know it today owes it to an ancient king of the Susu ethnic group named Sumaoro Kante. According to legend Sumaoro saw this instrument and heard its sound in a dream. When he awoke, he went to the mountain and cut some woods, he wanted to imitate the instrument but his sound was not the same. It is said that a spirit became present and gave him the technique for its construction and tuning. Then the griots (caste of African narrators and musicians) developed and expanded their sound.
It is considered an instrument with magical and healing properties, capable of attracting spirits and animals and is present in countless traditional ceremonies.
It is also an instrument with which the screams are accompanied by telling legends or singing their songs.
Its sound is so beautiful that it soon expanded and be part of universal modern music: today it is used by musicians everywhere and in the most diverse music.
REFERENCE VIDEO
About the luthier, Mark Martin, Bubakar
"In the craft of luthier I found a channel of expression of my person, where I unload my essence and give me a lot of peace, sister to nature and feed my soul."
Multi-awarded and recognized Luthier, former vice president of the Association of Luthiers of Argentina, a reference in the creation of African instruments, supplier of instruments of renowned musicians, trained as a musician and craftsman in Africa.
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