Pcha

Pcha is a young Malian who is following in the footsteps of his father, Neba Solo, and playing the balafon, Mali’s traditional xylophone, made from wood and using gourds as resonators. But Pcha is bringing the balafon right up to date, playing it in his own way and mixing it up with electronic sounds and afrobeats and hip hop rhythms.

In this episode Pcha explains how proud he is to have made the balafon cool for a new generation of Malians, and how important he feels it is for young musicians to learn to play their country’s distinctive instruments.