CultureAugust 30, 2026
calabash
KAL-uh-bash
Definition
A percussion instrument or vessel made from the dried, hollowed-out shell of a gourd fruit.
Etymology
The word comes from the French 'calebasse,' which likely originated from the Persian 'kharbuza,' meaning a melon or cucumber-like fruit.
In the news
In the article, Bagayoko uses a calabash as a percussion instrument and recalls using one as a child to accompany village women while they worked.
Still dancing at 88, Mali’s Mariam Bagayoko keeps tradition alive
Read the full article ↗RFI