The bolon consists of a large bowl-shaped calabash covered with goatskin, from which a bow-shaped wooden pole extends. The instrument has three strings, each attached around the pole.
Two extra strings have recently been found on newer versions of Bolon, but the 5 strings Bolon is not traditional, and only an addition of some yonger musicians.
The strings are tuned by moving the strings up and down where attached to the pole. A resonator is often found at the top of the pole.
The Bolon is played positionned in between the legs, strings facing the player with the wrists resting on the calabash. The strings are plucked with the thumbs, combining the wrists also knock the calabash.
It produces a deep bass sound.
The proposed version is from Guinea (West Africa).
It was traditionally played in hunting ceremonies in songs extolling the hunters' bravery and before battle, to urge warriors on to great feats of courage and endurance.
All musical instruments are authentic pieces imported directly from west Africa
(Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone.). The craftsmen who create them are descended from families who have produced the same artefacts from generations. They have mastered the techniques of selecting materials and building instruments through the years. Hear for yourself the unique sound that first echoed through Africa and now the world
