From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Traditional Mande harp played in Mali, The Gambia and Guinea
Simbing
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Griot_Soussou_%28Guin%C3%A9e%29.jpg/158px-Griot_Soussou_%28Guin%C3%A9e%29.jpg) A
Susu
yeliba playing a bolon in 1905, his rifle by his side. The bolon has a small, square soundhole and a nyenmyemo (metal resonator fringed with metal rings, mounted on the end of the neck)
|
|
Classification
|
harp-lutes
|
---|
Hornbostel?Sachs classification
| 323-5
(Acoustic instruments which have a resonator as an integral part of the instrument, in which the plane of the strings lies at right angles to the sound-table; a line joining the lower ends of the strings would be perpendicular to the neck. These have notched bridges. Sounded by the
bare fingers
)
|
---|
|
|
The
bolon
(
Bambara
:
??????
)
[1]
or
M'Bolon
is a traditional harp played in
Mali
, as well as
Guinea
.
[2]
It was notably played in hunting ceremonies or before a battle, to rouse warriors' valor.
[3]
It was also used by the
Jola
in
Gambia
for accompaniment for men's choruses.
[4]
Among other string instruments played in Guinea, the bolon is the oldest.
[3]
The bolon is a three-stringed instrument, constructed from a large calabash covered by unshaven goat skin, and a bow-shaped neck.
[3]
When playing, it is placed between the legs with the strings facing the musician. In addition to plucking the strings, the musician also hits the calabash as if playing a drum.
[1]
References
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Bolon
.
- ^
Faya Ismael Tolno (September 2011).
"Les Recherches linguistiques de l'ecole N'ko"
(PDF)
.
Dalou Kende
(in French). No. 19. Kanjamadi. p. 7
. Retrieved
17 December
2020
.
- ^
Mande Music: Traditional and Modern Music of the Maninka Page 77 Eric Charry - 2000 "Bolon . The bolon is played by several peoples in West Africa, including Maninka, Fulbe, Senufo. Susu, and Kissi (map 3, plate 4). Nowadays it is a rare instrument in its traditional setting, but it is often played in national ballets and in a variety of
- ^
a
b
c
"Alpha Rhythm Roots - Bolon"
.
www.alpharhythmroots.com
. Retrieved
2016-09-26
.
- ^
Stone, Ruth M., ed. "West Africa: An Introduction."
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Volume 1: Africa
. New York: Routledge, Array. 458-86.
Music Online: The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music
. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.