Traditional Music of Burkina Faso

The Djeli, a cast of the courtly praise composers in Burkina Faso, who function like the griots elsewhere in West Africa at every ruler’s funeral they read the names and histories of the past rulers, they intervene in people’s personal affairs and performs at the social gatherings. The Mossi and the griots recall ancient royal courts and courtly music.

source of picture: www.un.org

The kora, the stringed instrument of the djeli has been famous throughout much of the West Africa since the Malian empire of the 1240s, the instrument traditionally features seven cord until the Gambia griot Madi Woulendi that increased that number to twenty-one. The kora can be played in many scales which include the hypolydian mode (saouta), silaba, simbi and mandeka.

Mande speakers are also called for the balafon, a type of wooden xylophone that came in from Indonesia, the exact features of which can differ depending on the producer. The Dagara, Bwa and Senufo tribe also have their difference.

The Djembe percuss such as balafons, are often made in Bobo Dioulasso, the djembe is a vital part of Burkinabe traditional music which is said to be of Malinke origin. The musical instrument was manufactured from a single piece of wood, which is usually from a cailcedrat or lenke tree.

The bender percuss (which is known as bara in Mali and duma among the Hausa) is a membranophone created from a gourd with the top cut off and covered with goat or sheep skin. It is an ancient musical instrument that is possibly introduced during the time of Naaba Oubri to be played in sacred music at the royal courts of Moaga by a head percuss (benaaba), who strikes the centre or edges of the drum to make different sound out of the instrument. Another cord instruments that is known is the ngoni, the legend opines that it was created by a Senufo hunter. The ngoni is also played in Niger, Senegal and Mali.

The Fula people (fulbe) of the north play a different traditional instruments like the drums, hoddu (or xalam, a plucked skin covered lute related to the banjo) the riti or riiti (a one string bowed instrument) that is used for complex vocal techniques with clapping drums, their griots are called gawlo.