Flutist Amadou Ba shared a bit of background about the Fula flute with us. He said, “The flutes are from a tree in the forest that grows in the river. After harvesting the material, we put it under the sun to let it dry for the whole day. After that day under the sun, it is spoiled if it touches the ground. For those who know, that stick has magical power. If you clean your teeth with it, whatever you ask of God will be granted. But that is not something that is known to everyone.
Here, flutes cost about 60,000 CAF because they are so uncommon. It is because of the scarcity of flutes here that we keep them for more than 15 years. If you see how flutes are made, you will know that it is not for everybody. Playing these flutes is an art that is not easy to master.”
