Xalam

For the musical group, see Xalam (band).
Xalam
Molo, African lute, in the collection of the Smithsonian
Molo, African lute, in the collection of the Smithsonian. The biggest visible difference between the molo and a griot lute like the xalam is the bridge, which is cylindrical on this instrument, but has a fan shape on the xalam.[1]
String instrument
Other namesbappe, diassare, gúlúm, gurmi, hoddu / kologu, Khalam/Xalam, komsa, koni, kontigi, konting, molo, ndere, 'ngonifola, ngoni, tidinit
Hornbostel–Sachs classification321.33
(Tanged or Semi-spike lute: Chordophone, the plane of strings runs parallel with the sound table, the string bearer is a plain handle and passes "diametrically" through the resonator, the resonator consists of a natural or carved out bowl, in which the handle extends into but does not pass completely through the resonator)
Related instruments

Xalam (in Serer, khalam in Wolof, and Mɔɣlo in Dagbanli) is a traditional lute from West Africa with 1 to 5 strings.[2] The xalam is commonly played in Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Niger, Northern Nigeria, Northern Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Western Sahara. The xalam and its variants are known by various names in other languages, including bappe, diassare, hoddu (Pulaar), koliko (Gurunsi), kologo (Frafra),[3] komsa, kontigi, gurmi, garaya (Hausa), koni, konting (Mandinka), molo (Songhay/Zarma), ndere, ngoni (Bambara), and tidinit (Hassaniyya and Berber).

In Wolof, a person who plays the xalam is called a xalamkat (a word composed of the verbal form of xalam, meaning "to play the xalam", and the agentive suffix -kat, thus meaning "one who xalams"). In Mande, this is ngonifola or konting fola. In Hausa, this is mai gurmi or mai kontigi.

  1. ^ Charry, Eric (March 1996). "Plucked Lutes in West Africa: an Historical Overview". The Galpin Society Journal. 49. The Galpin Society: 4–6. One category of lute has a V- or fan-shaped bridge that slips onto the end of the neck (which is exposed by a hole in the soundtable). It is played exclusively by...griots...The other category of lute... has a cylindrical bridge that sits on top of the soundtable...[an example:] Figure 1b. Hausa molo: non-griot lute, wooden trough resonator, cylinder-shaped bridge...
  2. ^ J. H. Kwabena Nketia (1974). The Music of Africa. New York: W. W. Norton and Company. pp. 103, 258.
  3. ^ Guttman, Yoav. "What is a Kologo?". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-06-17.