Ngoni (instrument)

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The ngoni is a musical instrument which comes from West Africa. It looks like a guitar, its body is made of hollowed-out wood with dried animal (often goat) skin stretched over it like a drum. In the hands of a skilled ngoni instrumentalist, the ngoni can produce fast rapid melodies. In recent years some great young instrumentalists have developed the ngonis technical range. It is believed to be related to the American banjo. The Djoula of Burkina Faso claim this instrument was originally played by the hunters caste and had six strings. Modern ngonis in Burkina are made of calabash instead of wood and have eight, ten or twelve strings.

[edit] See also

• Xalam
• Ngoni people