Bala

Malinke

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

The bala is a xylophone with eleven to twenty hardwood slats tied to a bamboo frame. Suspended underneath each slat are hollow resonating gourds, arranged in graduated sizes. This early example is composed of fifteen gourd-resonated bars of wood that are struck by the musician with rubber-tipped mallets.

#Dr. Benny Kalanza "Travels in Sound" NPR

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Bala, Wood, gourd, hide, membrane, Malinke

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Bala, Wood, gourd, hide, membrane, Malinke
Bala, Wood, gourd, hide, membrane, Malinke
Bala, Wood, gourd, hide, membrane, Malinke

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