In conversation with balafon player Mamadou Diabate ahead of his performance in the city Born into a Griot family in Burkina Faso, known for their tradition of practising storytelling and music-making ...

As a boy in Mali, Balla Kouyaté remembers playing the balafon to motivate workers on a farm. He was so small, he had to stand on a large rock to be seen by the crowd. An opportunity like that would ...

The project aims to promote the creation of a balafon cultural industry in Côte d’Ivoire through the strengthening of professional skills linked to this popular musical instrument. By offering ...

The balafon, a musical instrument from West Africa, is being considered for inclusion on Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The instrument is built up from 17 to 21 wooden slats on top of two ...