noun
- A wooden percussion instrument with wooden bars and resonating gourds, played with mallets; a type of xylophone used in West African music.
Usage: Also called a balophone.; Primarily associated with Mali, Guinea, and other West African countries.; Often used in traditional and contemporary African music.
Examples
- The musician played a beautiful melody on the balafon at the cultural festival.
- The balafon's warm, resonant tones filled the concert hall.
- She learned to play the balafon as a child in Mali.
- The balafon is an important instrument in West African orchestras.
- He struck the wooden bars of the balafon with soft mallets to create a gentle sound.