Gyile
The gyile is a type of West African xylophone, with seventeen keys constructed over gourds. It holds a place in the musical traditions of the Dagara and Birifor people of northern Ghana and southern Burkina Faso.
Bernard Woma (d. 2018) was a well-known gyile player from Upper West Ghana who spent many years teaching the instrument and introducing it to audiences around the world.
Playing Style
The gyile is played by striking the keys with a wooden mallet with rubber heads and is generally played by men but there are no restrictions on gender. The instrument is usually played in pairs and accompanied by a calabash gourd drum called kuor. It can also be played by one person with the drum and the stick part as accompaniment.
Gallery
A player striking keys
Gyile player
Wooden mallet with rubber heads
Musical instruments
The underside of SK Kakraba
the Gyile Instrument
The gyile keys
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See also
References
- ↑ Stone, Ruth M. (2010). The Garland Handbook of African Music. Routledge. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-135-90001-4.
- ↑ "Bernard Woma – A master of the Ghanaian Xylophone". Dagara Music Centre.
- ↑ "Xylophone - Balafon". Ghana Goods. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
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