Saving the balafon - Africa's calabash xylophone Close. The balafon, a musical instrument from West Africa, is being considered for inclusion on Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

You’re inevitably familiar with the xylophone. In Western culture, ... 14 bars each, suspended over calabash gourds and affixed with decorative knobs. The tools of a master.

Calabash 2020, initially scheduled for May 29-31, will instead be held on Sept. 11-13 in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. Watch calabashfestival.org for details. Featured Weekly Ad.

At Calabash, the combination of sun, sea and literature proves a heady, intoxicating mix — part literary party and part revival meeting. Founded in 2001, ...