How the bara makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bara belongs to the idiophones: the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The bara (Bambara: ߓߊ߬ߙߊ; also called bendré) is a spherical hand drum with a body made from a dried gourd or calabash, used in West Africa (primarily Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali). Its single head is made of goatskin. To make the drum, a dried gourd is cut on one end and a single head made of goatskin is stretched across the opening. Bara drums come in various sizes, some quite large. The instrument is often used to accompany the balafon.
The bara has been used in the music of the Malian musicians Yaya Diallo and Habib Koité.
Other idiophones
Frequently asked questions
What does a bara sound like?
As one of the idiophones, its sound comes from the way the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
What type of instrument is the bara?
It is classified as idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 1789).