top of page

fedoundoun

Fedoundoun

Worldwide shipping

The Fedoundoun (in Malinke language), also called Yedoundoun (in Sosso language), is considered a water drum.
It is composed of one half a calabash filled with water, and another smaller calabash placed upside down and floating on the water.
It is played by striking the top of the smaller calabash by hand or with mallets covered with rubbers (similar to the one used for the Bala instrument).
A single player can play up to 3 of them tuned to a different pitch, and it is common to find multiple players each playing multiple Fedoundoun in an ensemble. A piece of rolled fabric is placed under each instrument to stabilize it. The calabash sizes, and the amount of air under the smaller calabash are key factors in changing the sound produce by this instrument.
It was initially played during dry seasons to  implore for rain.
The calabash being  widely used in everyday life for various purposes, is the reason why it has inspired to built so many different instruments.. (Gita, Horde...and many more....)

bottom of page