A TRADITION OF BASKET WEAVING IN GHANA
Starting from a small woven circle, Ghanaian basket weavers work their way out from a central point to reveal beautiful, distinctive Bolga baskets. Sometimes called “market baskets,” Bolga baskets are woven from veta vera, or elephant grass. While the grass is grown primarily in southern Ghana, weavers in the northern region of Bolgatanga excel at transforming the tough grass fiber into the iconic baskets. The people from the region rely on the sale of handcrafted items to supplement their income, and their craftsmanship is demonstrated by the high quality of these artfully woven baskets.
The weaving of Bolga baskets in Ghana has been a traditional skill for many generations, and is often a communal process. The Bolga baskets sold by Swahili Modern are fair trade and a reliable source of income for weavers and their families. Just as the baskets begin as a small circle and expand, so does the impact of purchasing fair trade items that directly benefit, support and empower the artisans who create them.
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$135.00
These gorgeous drums are crafted from tweneboa wood, a stretched goatskin top, and finished with intricate hand-carved geometric designs. Each drum is fully functional and makes a wonderful gift for musicians.
Sold individually.
Small Drum: 17.5-23"T x 9.5-12"W (6"D head).
Medium Drum: 22-25"T x 10-14"W (7"D head).
Large Drum: 24-26"T x 11-17" W (10"D head).
Designs are assorted, drums will be similar to examples in images. Each drum is a unique instrument and piece of art, and each carving is unique.
Extra shipping charges may apply for the larger drums. Questions about shipping? Visit our Shipping FAQ.
About the Artisans:
Created by Ghanaian artisan Akaleay, these drums are handcrafted from tweneboa wood. Akaleay works from an artisan collective on the beach in the Osu neighborhood of Accra. Tweneboa wood, used extensively for crafting drums, is known for its beautiful blonde color and subtle grain. The Ashanti hold native trees in sacred regard, and traditionally entreat a tree's spirit before felling.
$18.00
Kalimbas, mbiras, karimbas, finger pianos...all are names for the same African percussion instrument from the Lamellophone instrument family.
These fair trade, Kenyan toy karimbas produce their resonant sound through the use of hollowed wood. Recycled metal tines with recycled-can buzzers are plucked to create vibrations. The box is decorated with wood burnings and is held with both hands when playing.
Available in three sizes.
Dimensions:
Small: 4.5"L x 3"W x 1.5"H
Medium: 7"L x 4"W x 2"H
Large: 8"L x 5.5"W x 2"H
Crafted from: Wood, scrap metal
Made in: Kenya
About the Artisans:
Founded by Andy Koney nearly 20 years ago in his bedroom, today the Ghanian artistic collective known as Yenok employs 40 men and women who are dedicated to creating beautiful furniture and woodworking art, often with a spiritual flair. Yenok's products are recognized for their high quality and custom craftsmanship.
$34.00
Working in a coastal workshop outside Accra, Ghanaian artisans hand-carve these lovely little hand drums from wood and stretch a goatskin top. Each drum features geometric detailing, hand-carved into the wooden body of the drum, and a braided cord for carrying. Though small, the drums are fully functionalâ a great gift for small musicians.
Choose from 2 sizes. 5" Drum: approximately 8.5" tall with a 5" wide drumhead. 4" Drum: approximately 6" tall with a 4" wide drumhead. Due to the handcrafted nature of these drums, designs will vary and size may vary slightly. Sold individually.
About the Artisans:
Founded by Andy Koney nearly 20 years ago in his bedroom, today the Ghanian artistic collective known as Yenok employs 40 men and women who are dedicated to creating beautiful furniture and woodworking art, often with a spiritual flair. Yenok's products are recognized for their high quality and custom craftsmanship.
$36.00
Ghanaian artisans hand-carve these lovely small hand drums from wood, stretch a goatskin top, and hand-paint vibrant finishes onto their exterior. Each drum is fully functional and makes a great gift for children and music lovers. The drums are assorted in color and motif; see photos for examples.
Size: approximately 7" W x 10" T
Due to the handcrafted nature of these drums, designs and color will vary.
About the Artisans:
Founded by Andy Koney nearly 20 years ago in his bedroom, today the Ghanaian artistic collective known as Yenok employs 40 men and women who are dedicated to creating beautiful furniture and woodworking art, often with a spiritual flair. Yenok's products are recognized for their high quality and custom craftsmanship.
$145.00
These xylophones are carefully calibrated musical instruments that produce an amazingly resonant sound with warm, round tones. This beautiful instrument includes 8 notes, and a set of mallets.
Measures approximately 16”L x 14”W x 2.5”H. Due to the handcrafted nature of this item, slight variation is expected.
About the Artisans:
Vaima Arts Trust is an amazing organization that uses music and creative arts to empower, rehabilitate, and advocate for marginalized members of their communities. Officially started in 2017, they teach the people they work with how to play, and create Zimbabwean instruments. "Vaima," a Shona word meaning "shine bright," encapsulates their mission to spread joy and creativity using music.
$22.00
Ghanian HighLife is often called "the happiest sound" and this African music compilation is an excellent introduction to the joyous sounds of HighLife being created in Ghana today. The vocal- and guitar-driven tracks on this album are joyfully infused with elements of swing, jazz, and Cuban rhythms. Similar to the popular HighLife style of the 60s, Sankofa is full of bouncing brass with the upbeat guitar styles of West Africa.
You'll be treated to a sampling of five different bands, including Alex Konadu's International Band and Prince Osei Kofi and His African Heroes. A perfect album to get happy to!
Please visit AllMusic.com to hear samples of this album.
Track List:
- Mafe Wo
- Medan Wo
- Otwee Emporo
- Enye Mea
- Fine Boy
- Abrabo/li>
- Odehyee
- Me Mere Beba
- Odo Ye Owu
$22.00
Kely's warm and colorful Zoma Zoma entices the listener on a musical journey through the Indian Ocean, South America, and Africa. The musicality of this album owes much to Charles Kely's unique guitar playing style, his vocals, and the rich range of his musicians: Emile Biayenda, percussionist (Drums of Brazza), Julio Rakotonanahary, bassist (Susheela Raman, Raul Paz) and Alain Debiossat, saxophonist (Sixun).
Born in Madagascar, Charles Kely's fast fingerwork has been described as "brilliant" and his style "the perfect synthesis of Africa and jazz." With the success of Zoma Zoma, Kely is focusing on his solo career and developing his signature sound music that blends bossa, jazz, blues, funk and subtle African influences. Expect great things from this talented artist!
Track List:
- Zoma Zoma
- Malaky Bagdad
- Fety
- Tsofy Rano Zay Nomena
- Rabekijana
- Ho Any An-tanana
- Travelling By Lokomotiva
- Lasa Ianao Nandeha
- Vola No Lasany (Ketraka Lava)
- 4'Mi
- Fahatsiarovana
- Ozona
$18.00
Artisans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, craft these great musical instruments from recycled Nescafe coffee cans, printed in French. A great gift for music lovers or collectors of recycled crafts, each kalimba features a unique burned pattern on top.
Dimensions: 4"L x 2.5"W x 2"T
Crafted from: wood, metal, recycled tin cans
Made in: Burkina Faso
About the Artisans:
The Village Artisanal de Ouagadougou (VAO) is a centre of excellence in the creation, production and marketing of Burkinabe art, fine crafts and handicrafts in Burkina Faso. Here you can feel the passion and see the creations of over 500 artisans representing 30 different genres of art.
$64.00
This mbira (pronounced UM-beer-ra), consisting of a hand-carved wooden base with attached staggered recycled metal tines and with a resonator to add a little buzz, is played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs. A particularly common musical instrument of the Shona people of Zimbabwe, it is also often an important instrument to be played at religious ceremonies, weddings, and other social gatherings.
A beautiful gift for world music enthusiasts!
15 Note Mbira measures 5"L x 1"W x 8"T.
23 Note Mbira measures 8"L x 1"W x 9.5"T.
Due to the handmade nature of this item, slight variation is expected.
About the Artisans:
Artisans handcraft quality musical instruments that traditionally figure strongly in Shona ceremonies, using recycled wood and metal.
