Akonting

The Akonting looks similar to a Banjo, made from wood, leather, and string. It features a small round body covered in a leather skin guard, a long arm with strings running over it. Generally, the Akonting will have one shorter drone string and two longer melody strings.

Although the Akonting is normally made by carving wood into the desired shape, some have fashion Akontings out of sticks, bamboo, and even sugar cane. The covering of the body varies by region and group, with some even opting to leave it bare. The string is commonly made from fishing lines.

Making the Akonting is no easy feat, it requires patience, a steady hand and engineering brilliance. After fashioning the body from wood and attaching the arm to it, the string is then attached using a slip knot and pulled over the arm and fastened over six times to the arm.

Much like a Bass guitar, the Akonting forms part of the rhythm of a song. By playing short notes one after the other, the Akonting acts like a beat maker. It supplies the rhythm to the background of a melody.