Paragon Jeli Ngoni

Product Description

The jeli ngoni (also djeli n`goni, pronounced like jelly, then nn-GO-nee) is a traditional Mande instrument, a lute played by the jelis. It consists of a hollow body with goat skin covering (like a drum) with a fretless fingerboard and four to seven fish-line strings, strung over a bridge and tensioned by leather straps. The djeli ngoni is likely the ancestor of the modern-day banjo, and is still very popular today in traditional and modern Mande music. These instruments are built to professional standards in Mali and Guinea. This instrument features:

• Solid, hand-carved hardwood body, 15-18 in long and 4-5 in wide
• Thick goat or calf skin stretched tight and fixed to body with decorative tacks or wood pegs
• Fretless dowel fingerboard 25-30 in long, extending out of body 14-18 in
• 4-5 thin fish-line strings attached to wood bridge, tunable with leather cinch straps
• Hand crafted using traditional methods in Mali or Guinea by expert ngoni builders
• Being a stringed instrument, this ngoni will need to be tuned after shipping
• Imported, African-made product from Africa Heartwood Project
• The purchase of this product sustains livelihoods for cultural artisans in West Africa.