Jeli Ngoni – Nuna

Traditional Jeli Ngoni from Mali

Jeli Ngoni (pronounced “jelly nn-gon-ee”) is a traditional Mande lute played by the jeli (griot: traditional musicians). The Jeli N’goni is one of the oldest instruments of the jeli, pre-dating the balafon and kora, and is considered the ancestor of the modern-day banjo

Played with a picking technique using the thumb and index finger, accented with percussive knocking and tapping