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African xylophone No. 1 - Buy balafon

Balafon

The balafon (also spelled balaphone) is an African xylophone which is found in many parts of Africa, tuned to pentatonic or heptatonic scales depending on its region of origin. It consists of a wooden structure of knotted woods on top of which are wooden keys under which hang calabash resonators. Holes pierced in the calabashes are covered with vibrating membranes in the mirliton style. The keys of our balafons are made of hardwood - rosewood (gueni) generally - then dried in a traditional oven in order to guarantee the stability of its note over time. Our collection of balafons come from Burkina Faso, Mali or Guinea. They are created by craftsmen whose traditional skills have been passed down for generations from father to son.