The balafon is a West African xylophone that an artisan carefully crafts from particular species of dried wood, 18-21 bars of which are attached to a frame above specific resonating gourds, and strike with special gum-rubber mallets. There are two kinds of balafons — fixed key, in which the bars are attached to a frame above buzzing, resonating gourds, and free-key, in which the bars rest directly on a padded surface.
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