Traditional music is very important to people in the Upper West. This applies equally to the older generation and younger people. Children hear, and feel music from day 1. One of my most poignant memories of Lawra was the sound of xylophones penetrating the darkness of an African night and more than over coming the ever-present sound of crickets . In the following pages, I hope to show you how xylophones are made by a very good friend of mine, Mr. Bogrei’s uncle, the xylophone maker of Lawra, where they’re played and the beautiful sounds they make.

The following pictures and accompanying explainations illustrate a zylophone is made by Mr. Bogrei's uncle, THE zylophone maker of Lawra and the Upper West. Click here to learn how to make a xylophone.

To listen to some xylophone playing, click here.

If you'd like to see some dancing and other pictures of xylophones, click here.