Sonic Collective Balafon w/ Bassidi Koné

Bassidi Koné and Found Sound Nation team up to present a sample pack featuring the balafon, a gourd-resonated vibraphone. Known for its distinct buzzing gourd resonators and pitched bars, the balafon plays a central role in the oral history of Mali. The richness of the balafon’s bass notes combined with the clarity and twang of its higher registers dance between support and counterpoint in this pack, often jumping between registers to create playful, intricate phrases.

Hailing from a family of Griots in Segou, Mali, Bassidi Koné is a percussionist, balafon player and oral historian. His father and grandfather taught him the balafon at a young age, which instilled in him his forefathers’ traditional village songs and rhythms passed down through many generations. Through his own arrangements and instrumentation, Bassidi revisits and innovates the sound of his elders and ancestors with the greatest respect. As an ambassador of his Bwa tradition, he upholds his musical heritage by promoting and preserving the identity, spirituality and cultural richness of his Bwa ethnicity.

Produced by Found Sound Nation 

Edited and Mixed by Christopher Botta

223 Samples