Balafon solo by Alya Dioubate

[@croon4u]

There aren't enough stars available to rate this. Brilliant is too dull a word for this performance. So glad I got to see this! Have always loved any music of the Dioubate clan... double-WOW.

[@filmcrew1551]

The old days of youtube there was a 1-5 star rating instead of thumbs or down. A little youtube history lesson :)

[@melodyrecord]

This is extraordinary - best Bala Musician I've ever heard! (And I have heard the best Africans in America!!) The Bala is like the bubbling happy Spirit of the water...it massages your Soul!! The proof of his amazing skill is the completely relaxed casual attack of the keys...flowing effortlessly from his mind/heart through his hand & mallets to touch with finesse the magic wood of the bala...vibrating sweetly with the air of the gourds below. TOTALLY AWESOME HIGH!!

[@jeanjean90]

Ca a l'air facile et Alya a l'air de bien s'amuser. Belle maîtrise. Bravo ! Merci pour ce beau voyage en Guinée.

[@ras_mal]

Ça sonne bien 🏆

[@voxhunden]

Vous etes un vrai maitre du balafon!

[@mj99a]

i just watched another balafon vid where two people play facing each other. one sits traditional (left low notes) the other left high notes. great players too.

[@RodrigoMelhado]

Wow, it's amazing... Congratulations guy.

[@jadwyga]

what a groove!

[@Hun_Uinaq]

Very nice.

[@keyamsha]

So sweet!!!!

[@Skarlis]

Who says he's pounding randomly on the instrument? He's clearly playing a song, just not a song westerners like us are used to. And the age of the instrument doesn't matter either. Does that mean that traditional Chinese music played on the Guqin are also inferior? The way this man plays the Balafon is amazing; his timing, his rhythm, and his confidence in playing. It doesn't condescend Africans at all, he's good at his instrument. As a musician yourself, don't be quick to judge.

[@alternit]

thank you so much for this!

[@bipexihi1123]

Bravo!! beautiful cultural heritage :) In my country we play the Marimba, It's our traditional instrument :) Is very nice and intriguing to see so many different cultures sharing similarities ! All for the love of Music. peace out!

[@ccyc1993]

amazing

[@oh_rhythm]

this is just a wonderful instrument! i'm so glad i bumped into it :)

[@rfrakctured]

Dang, he's good. Pretty fast, too. If I had one of those I'd probably be playing all day.

[@svukic1041]

Buy one - they only cost over $300 (I'm a University music student and I'm actually shopping for one!)

[@svukic1041]

But you can get smaller ones that are much cheaper - 6, 8, 10-12 notes, the more notes the more it costs, obviously.

[@dokuja1]

Magnifique ! Plein de talent !

[@flimflamflor]

Genius!

[@Edicamargoarte]

Adorei! Muito habilidoso no instrumento.

[@voxhunden]

I see that since I last visited this amazing video it has been attracting the usual YT krap. The only thing missing so far seems to be a creationism flame war. But I'm sure the dimwits are creative enough to even drag a topic like that onto a page which is supposed to be about GREAT AFRICAN MUSIC.

[@draztik]

this is a beautiful instrument

[@MrJJ221]

awsome

[@sugarbrownrabbit]

@ceilingkatt it's pure West African because it' mention in the epic of Sanjata, which is the tale of the rise of the Mali empire.

[@harista23]

just Won-der-ful.

[@margaretrausch]

wery fuuny!

[@margaretrausch]

yes

[@pedrofcuk]

wow!

[@SydneyIsADuck]

woah.

[@bored_person]

and marimba, brother to xylophone.

[@AjaxHammer6]

oh for a marimba, it doesnt matter if your right or left handed. higher notes always are to your right and lower notes are to your left.

[@kratanuva725]

@bhaal1 Of course, it's in 7-edo.

[@theopaopa1]

06:15 great !

[@drgreenthumb7111]

SKILLS

[@barcacafe11]

hi negrito!!! you tocas very good

[@giannirs]

aniche!!!

[@Skarlis]

At least it isn't over 2 years later like most old comments' replies. o_O

[@opus88888]

Marimba descends from balafon.

[@ceilingkatt]

is this purely west african music? not influenced by western music at all? because it sounds quite complex. 3:19 is awesome

[@opus88888]

The balafon and the latinamerican marimba are two different instruments.

[@misterchun]

@winstonfc Not really sure why I read this whole argument, but I was somewhat on your side until the bit about the balafon being "primitive"... you really think the construction and performances practices of the instrument haven't evolved? The marimba absolutely is not its "modern counterpart"- they're two completely different instruments. And it sounds exactly the way they intend for it to sound... West African music and their perception of tonality and timbre is completely different from ours.

[@ceilingkatt]

@asusbagel woah

[@stewartgillies2201]

Anyone know the tuning system on this?

[@regularjoe5516]

Maybe Not sure Equiheptatonic system Meaning little bit like diatonic but not with same note Here all, I m pretty sure it's the case, all the notes have equal intervals between themselves It was used at the beginning so the Bala player can play in every key to adapt to the tessiture of the singer

[@kewlbananable]

how are these instruments made and what of (for GCSE music)

[@bored_person]

stars?

[@gr3vans1]

I think Alya is now in gbessia. If anyone needs contact info I could probably help.

[@AjaxHammer6]

plz tell me you know what your talking about. because i want a legitmate answer. do you play the balfon?

[@agogobell28]

Is Dioubate related to Diabate of Mali?

[@AjaxHammer6]

this is weird, it looks like a marimba but as the player moves to his left the piathc's get higher instead of lower. O.O WEIRD.

[@margaretrausch]

what this is!? i don't know. XD

[@AjaxHammer6]

what the crap are you talking about. it doesnt matyter if your right or left handed.