| Name | Image | Description | Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akonting |  | The akonting is the folk lute of the Jola people, found in Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. It is a banjo-like instrument with a skin-headed gourd body, two long melody strings, and one short drone string, akin to the short fifth "thumb string" on the 5-string banjo. | |
| Dunun |  | A Dunun (also known as dundun, doundoun, or djun-djun) is a set of West African bass drums. They are kenkeni (smallest), sangban (medium) and doundounba (largest). The kenkeni has the highest pitch and usually holds the rhythm together with a simple pattern. The sangban typically has a more complex part which defines the rhythm. The doundounba often serves to add depth with deep, widely spaced notes. These drums provide a rhythmic and melodic base for the djembe ensemble. | |
| Kora |  | A kora is built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge like a lute or guitar. The sound of a kora resembles that of a harp, though when played in the traditional style, it bears a closer resemblance to flamenco guitar techniques. The player uses only the thumb and index finger of both hands to pluck the strings in polyrhythmic patterns. Traditional koras feature 21 strings, eleven played by the left hand and ten by the right. The image shows the master kora-maker Alieu Suso of The Gambia. |
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