Balafon

The balafon's wooden keys are laid out like a xylophone's, but each key is suspended over its own calabash gourd resonator, tuned to match the pitch of the key above it. Striking the key with a mallet sends the sound resonating through the gourd below, which is often fitted with small buzzing membranes for the instrument's signature rattling timbre.

In Cameroon, the balafon sits alongside instruments like the mvet (a harp-zither used by Beti storytellers), tam-tam drums, and the sanza thumb piano as part of a broader family of wooden and gourd-based instruments that carry the country's traditional music.

Balafon playing is frequently a group activity — multiple players on instruments tuned to complement each other, weaving interlocking melodic lines that support singing, storytelling, and dance.