Large arched harp of the Manding peoples of West Africa, the Mandinka of the Gambia and Maninka of Guinea and Mali. The harp has a large, whole-calabash resonator with a rectangular soundhole in the side, a laced goatskin soundtable and three or four strings fastened to the handle by leather thongs (see illustration). Formerly used in warfare, when the resonator was beaten as a drum, the bolon is now played by professional musicians (mainly descended from slave caste) either as a solo instrument or, more commonly, to accompany singing.
See also Harp-lute (i), Mali, Gambia, Guinea.
L.C. Boulton: disc notes African Music, FW 8852 (1957)
C. Nourrit and B. Pruitt, eds.: Musique traditionelle de l’Afrique noire, discographie Mali 1978 (Paris, 1978)
K.A. GOURLAY, LUCY DURÁN