The Kamale Ngoni

The Kamale Ngoni

The kamale ngoni is a six to eight stringed, pentatonic instrument. It evolved from the six string donso ngoni. The donso ngoni originated several hundred years ago and was traditionally played for hunting ceremonies. In recent years the instrument was played by young men for occasions other than hunting. The instrument was given the name kamale ngoni for these purposes. “Kamale” means “young man” in Bambara, Mali’s most popular language. So, although the tuning remained the same between the two instruments, the rhythms and melodies completely changed. Within the last 30 years the kamale ngoni has become a popular instrument in Malian music. Similar instruments are the cora and the bolon.