Senegambia
Wolof

Cowhide, wood, nylon strings, leather straps
ca. Early 20th century
Chordophone – Half-Spike Lute – Plucked

“Xalam” is a half-spiked pluck lute of the Wolof people of Senegambia. They can have one to eight strings, but usually 5 strings as shown here. This small lead “xalam” is referred to as “nderr” and is played by “xalamkats,” considered “gewels” (equivalent to the Mandinka “jali,” functioning as praise-singers, seers/healers, emissaries between chiefs and villages, advisers to leaders and genealogists).

The strings of this “xalam” are nylon. They are attached by hide-tuning laces to one end of the fret-less pole neck, then pass over a fan-shaped bridge and through the sound hole in the cowhide sound table, where they are attached to the exposed end of the neck within the wooden resonator. The cowhide sound table is attached to the wooden trough-shaped resonator by handmade hammered metal tacks.