The balafon is a West African xylophone with wooden keys over gourd resonators, played with mallets; it sometimes uses membranes for a characteristic buzz and is common in countries like Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, with variants such as the gyil.‹›
Oscar Niemeyer Museum

Oscar Niemeyer

Model · Curitiba, Brazil · 2002

Drawing: Wilfredor · 2025-09-28 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · Original 7274×3809

The balafon is a West African xylophone with wooden keys over gourd resonators, played with mallets; it sometimes uses membranes for a characteristic buzz and is common in countries like Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, with variants such as the gyil.

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