X8 Drums Blog

You may recognize the fast-paced, upbeat rhythm in the video above as the Kuku rhythm, one of the most popular djembe rhythms due to its joyous, celebratory sound. But do you recognize the instrument providing the melody? Looks like a xylophone, right? While the instrument you see in the video is a kind of wooden xylophone, it’s actually a West African percussion idiophone called a balafon and originates in Mali. Used to play melodic tunes, the balafon features 16 to 27 tuned wooden keys pl …