This diatonic balaphone has 29 slats made of palisander. Calebasses serve as soundboxes, all elements are tied togehter with cowhide cords. In order to produce a sound that sends out soft metallic vibrations, membranes of a smoothed out spider´s nest have been attached to the inside of the soundboxes. Four sticks with natural caoutchouc for playing the instrument.
The balaphone is 3 metres in length and up to 1.35 metres in width. Built for professional purposes, it is, to our knowledge, one of the largest instrument of its kind. During four months, Aly Keïta has traveled to three countries to find calebasses of the size needed. |
