This week, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the bolon (also spelled m’bolon and nbolon) to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
The bolon is a traditional musical instrument used in southern Mali and other countries. The harp-style instrument consists of a large calabash sound box covered with cowhide and a bow-shaped wooden neck with strings.
The number of strings of the bolon determines how it is used. Single-stringed and two-stringed bolon are used for popular events and for rituals and religious ceremonies, whereas three-stringed and four-stringed bolon are used to accompany the praising of traditional chiefs, honor the heroic deeds of kings, and accompany farmers in the fields. The instrument is taught through apprenticeships and by local associations.
The bolon is also used by Malian and Guinean musicians in the bands of world music artists such as Ballake Sissoko, Mory Kanté, Ba Cissoko and Kandia Kouyaté.
Although the submission to the UNESCO list was made by Mali, the bolon is also played in other countries in the region, such as Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau.
The List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding includes elements of living heritage whose viability is under threat. It mobilizes international cooperation and assistance to strengthen the transmission of these cultural practices, in agreement with the concerned communities. This List currently numbers 71 elements.
(headline photo: bolon players – © Direction nationale du patrimoine culturel (DNPC), Mali, 2019 )
Author: World Music Central News Room
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