Ngoni (instrument)

The smaller kamale ngoni or "young man's harp" is claimed to be invented by the musician Alata Brulaye around the 1950s and 1960s in Mali. It became popular in the Wassoulou region and contributed to the rise of Wassoulou music in the 1970s and 1990s. Musicians traditionally tune this harp using pentatonic scales. There are however exceptions, such as Adama Yalomba, who are exploring new horizons and applying heptatonic scales transforming and influencing the younger generation. The kamale ngoni is smaller than, and tuned a fourth higher than, the traditional pentatonic donso ngoni, which is a predecessor of the kamale ngoni. Both the kamale ngoni and donso ngoni resemble and share their basic design with the Manding kora, but the kora has a wider range (often up to four octaves) with many more strings tuned diatonically, while the kamale ngoni and donso ngoni have ranges of around an octave (or slightly more, in the case of the kamale ngoni), and are tuned pentatonically. During decades both harps followed similar organology using a resonance body made of calabash rather than wood such as the traditional lute ngoni. This West African harp was initially played using only six strings but later that number was increased to eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen and eighteen strings. ==Notable players==

• Issa Bagayogo • Cheick Hamala Diabaté, a Grammy nominated, internationally touring artist who also plays the banjo • Mamah Diabaté from Rokia Traoré Band • Adama Dicko, played a.o. with Tata Pound and Transglobal Underground • Dicko Fils • Mamadou Sidibé - Malian Musician • Moriba Koïta († 2016), played with most West-African Stars • Abdoulaye Kone from Sidi Touré Band • Andra Kouyaté, played with his brother Bassekou Kouyate, Rokia Traoré and Tiken Jah Fakoly • Bassekou Kouyaté, prominently with his band named Ngoni ba • Mamadou Kouyaté, player of the little-known bass ngoni, part of Trio-Da-Kali, recorded with the Kronos Quartet, played with Roswell Rudd, Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyaté a.o., appeared at The 2013 Proms • Ko Kan Ko Sata • Fina Ahimsa plays kamale ngoni • Siân Pottok plays kamale ngoni • Yoro Sidibe plays donso ngoni • Youssoupha Sidibe • Baba Sissoko • Justin Adams • Banzumana Sissoko • Ramon Goose • Don Cherry, American jazz musician • Leni Stern, American jazz guitarist who incorporates ngoni into all her current projects, including with the Mike Stern Band • William Parker • Joshua Abrams ==See also==