Uploaded by UlfJagfors
Date uploaded: 2006-09-25
Length: 7:42 minutes
Viewed: 20764 times
Average Rating: 4.8 (39 votes)
Description: This recording was made July 2002 in Banjul and shows a Jali/Griot Xhalam lute player.The Xhalam is semi spike lute that has been used in West Africa for more than 1000 years. Visit my Blog site for more info www.myspace.com/banjoulf
Channel: Music
Xhalam playing by Abdulai Saine,Gambia 2002 Video
Share at Facebook
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Blinklist
Digg it
Post to Reddit
Bookmark to Google
Save to Yahoo (MyWeb)
Fark
Furl
Yigg
Mister Wong
Taggle
Allactu
Hatena
Root AceThere is a direct link between the today existing West African lutes and the Ancient Egyptien lutes. Court bard Har-Moses lute (about 1500 B.C) which is on display in the Cairo Museum is in many ways very similar in construction. I have examine that lute on spot. There are a few differencies. The Egyptin lutes were mostly played with a wooden plectrum. They had no short thumb string as on nearly all Griot/Jali lutes. They also encompase frets made of a twisted rope around the neck. Ulf Jagfors
teamim
@Klezfiddle1: Thanks for pointing this out! Babylonia was the original home of the long-necked lute (acc. to Curt Sachs) and it went from there to Egypt and elsewhere. I find the construction both of the instrument and this music fascinating.
Klezfiddle1
What an amazing instrument! It is virtually identical to the ancient Egyptian lute, as depicted on Theban banqueting scenes, from over 3000 years ago...
corbicula
I'm afraid of African music...
KRISHNARAJIYENGAR
wow! how much would this cost? very fascinating! little instrument, sweet sound!
meteoritelight
that guys got some seriously long fingers
ady24
beautiful stuff.
ArneKrueger
Thank you, Mr. Abdulai Saine, and Ulf , to bring us this delicate Little Tune to our poor Europe. Hope you are both well! It touches my heart.Jau!
maxjohnn
Allah Bless the Gambia
Mamadoumdiack
this video gives me a sense of my identity and reminds me of my past whenever i watch it. i remember when the griot used to come to my house to play this the Xhalam, Hoddu as the peul call it or ngoni as the bambara call it.
pauloyeh
I'm from Gambia and it has been ten years since I heard this music.I leave in NYC now.Thanks to Technology and the person who posts this video.I love it.
jaikwillis
This video is great , so is the whole series. I just broke a string on my xhalam trying to tune it like this one. now what do i do ??
jaikwillis
what a great video. this whole series is fantastic. I just broke a string on my xhalam trying to make it tune like this one. now what do i do ? crap