大象传媒

To say that balafon player Balla Kouyat茅 was born into a musical family is an understatement. His family line goes back 800 years to Balla Fas茅k茅, the first of an unbroken line of djelis in the Kouyat茅 clan. Djelis are the oral historians, musicians, and performers who keep alive the history of the Mand茅 people of Mali and Guinea.

The balafon is the ancestor to all marimbas and xylophones. Played with mallets, it comprises of wooden slats with rows of gourds acting as natural amplifiers underneath. The story goes that back in the 13th century, when the emperor Sundiata overthrew the villainous Soumaora Kante, he appointed the Kouyat茅 family to protect the Sosso Bala, the original balafon. That instrument survives today, in the safe keeping of Balla鈥檚 father鈥檚 in Guinea.

With all that history it鈥檚 no surprise that Balla is a virtuoso player of the balafon. Now living in Boston in the US, he鈥檚 a much sought-after collaborator, playing with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma in his Silk Road ensemble. As well as frequently touring with his own band, he also makes time to fulfil his responsibilities to his community as a djeli, playing traditional music at family events from weddings to baby naming ceremonies.

Presenter: Aleks Krotoski

Image: Balla Kouyat茅 (Credit: Tom Pich)