Bernard Woma @ Solar Culture Gallery

Bernard Woma, master of the African Gyil (xylophone), performs live at the Solar Culture Gallery. Bernard presented an incredible clinic at PASIC 2011. “The Gyil is the primary traditional instrument of the Dagara people of northern Ghana and Burkina Faso, and of the Lobi of Ghana, southern Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire. The gyil is usually played in pairs, accompanied by a calabash gourd drum called a kuor. It can also be played by one person with the drum and the stick part as accompaniment, or by a soloist. Gyil duets are the traditional music of Dagara funerals. The instrument is generally played by men, who learn to play while young, however, there is no restriction on gender.” [1]

Originally posted on DrummChattr.com on January 3, 2012.