Bolon Bato a West African bridge harp

Bolon Batu is a four string bridge large gourd harp (harp lute)used in the Senegambian/Guinea region.It is a folk instrument used for dancing, singing and is sometimes played with other instruments like Balafons and Tam-Tam drums. This video shows the songster Souleymane Camara from Guinnee Conakry. Recorded in Banjul 2003

Category:

Music

Tags:

• West
• African
• traditional
• string
• music

[elmataardillas]

Que no es un N'goni?

[UlfJagfors]

It is not an Ngoni. it is an Bolon Bato. There are three different types of string instrument with the name Ngoni.

A) A Griot/ Jali ( Muslim bards) four string wooden body lute played by the Bambara/Manika people in Mali.

B) A long neck, gourd body, bridge harp called Donce Ngoni played by the hunters of Bambara people in Mali.

C) A long neck bridge harp, similar to the Dance Ngoni, called Kamel Ngoni, who can be played by common people in Mali. It was developed during the 1950´s. Ulf J.

[anitaalford]

Is this language french or falafa?

[UlfJagfors]

Well. I am not very good in French as you can hear from my attempt to interview him but he speaks French.

Ulf

[JustinComparable]

is he speaking french?

[UlfJagfors]

Yes

Ulf Jagfors

[alpharhythmroots]

Thank you "UlfJagfors" to clarified the names...

I would like to add that this instrument was originally a 3 strings instrument, only the recent yong folks from Guinea added a 4th and even a 5th string to it.

It is a hunters instruments and does not belong to the Jelis (the one playing the different Ngonis..) This instrument is said to have been around since around 1000 BCE (As you can see - it has no metalic part to it but only natural things that were available even before iron was made.

[throbule]

@UlfJagfors:

There is NO instrument called 'kamal' - the word is 'Kamale'.

Also, there is no instrument called 'donce' or 'dance' ngoni as you state.

The instrument is called a 'Donso' Ngoni, and it was not developed in the 1050s - it has been around for thousands of years in various parts of West Africa.

Peace...

[kpimp10]

sound kinda like a hip hop beat for a second

[abasjewel]

Bien fait!! Bravo!!

[abasjewel]

@UlfJagfors yes, he is speaking French...the same as in the United States...in the South we speak one way and in the North another...I am fluent in French and he is speaking French.

[JesuitFarmer]

Sounds a bit like Bob Dylan, ha-ha.

[saedt]

does anyone know what he is singing about?

[squishykitty3]

interested

[djembesilo]

the title of the 2nd song doesn't match what souleymane is saying. he says that it is called 'maane'. the intro he does for it is the same as what is played on percussion for the mane rhythm. both yankadi and maane are from the susu repertoire (coastal guinea).

[Max0Inq]

Long name, indeed.