It was with great apprehension and doubt that Coulibaly Souleymane agreed to come and play in Beijing in late August 2016. As the artistic and administrative director of the band Djarabikan Balafon, performing in China was - for him and his men - akin to leaping into uncharted territory. "I admit I was very nervous before coming. I asked myself a lot of questions, despite assurances from organizers. I wondered if a Chinese audience could really enjoy the music we play, that is the balafon, and if they were going to boycott our concert," Souleymane told ChinAfrica just before stepping onto the stage.

Made of pieces of wood intricately cut and strung together, the balafon is a polyphonic tuned percussion instrument. Long confined to Côte d'Ivoire's traditional music community, the balafon has increasingly sought to step into the modern era, and even find an audience outside Côte d'Ivoire. Despite the concerns of their director, Djarabikan Balafon's performance was met with resounding success on August 28. The audience of more than 250 who turned out in the Blossom Hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts, located in the heart of China's capital, was blown away by the Ivoirian band. Moreover, the crowd, much to everyone's surprise, was mainly Chinese. Among them was also Kouame Loukou, First Counsellor of the Ivory Coast Embassy in China, and officials of the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

In June 2016, the Ivoirian Minister of Culture and Francophonie, Maurice Kouakou Bandaman, accompanied by representatives of the cultural community, paid an official visit to China. During their meeting with the Chinese Minister of Culture, Luo Shugang, both parties agreed to a program of cultural cooperation between China and Côte d'Ivoire over the period 2016-19. Djarabikan Balafon's tour in China is part of this program.

Cultural discovery

For an hour, the five musicians on stage mesmerized their audience. The crowd responded to each of their song with thunderous applauses, punctuated by whooping and cheering. The songs - among which were Boyorokadjan, M'Balax and Yara Yara - are either original compositions of the band or covers. Their unique style blends typical Ivoirian rhythms, such as ziglibiti, zouglou, coupé-décalé, with international influences like salsa or rumba.

After the concert, the audience - who evidently had not had enough of their music - did not hesitate to come on stage to greet, congratulate and praise the musicians, while buying their CDs, taking selfies, or trying the various instruments of the band. Li Yunfei, a young Chinese civil servant, told ChinAfrica that she loves percussion instruments, and often attends such performances. Last year, Li volunteered at the National Center for the Performing Arts, where she was able to enjoy many similar concerts. But this time she was even more enthusiastic: "I think concerts with African percussion instruments are different from the other ones. They are more dynamic and stronger, with African features. Listening to this music, I imagine the landscapes of the African continent, I can feel their enthusiasm."

During their 12-day tour of China (from August 27 to September 7), Souleymane and his musicians performed in different Chinese cities, including Baoding and Shijiazhuang in north China's Hebei Province and Changzhou in south China's Jiangsu Province, and everywhere they have met with success.

A family affair

Djarabikan Balafon is above all a family affair. Indeed, five of the six-member band are from one family. "The solo percussionist Diabaté San Yaya and the balafonnist Diabaté Abdoulaye are my uncles. Keita Seydou, the bass-balafonnist is my cousin. Touré Alassane is also a cousin of mine. Coulibaly Souleymane is our band leader," explains Diabaté Souleymane, the band another percussionist. He is also amazed by their success, which he had not expected at all. "I never imagined that, thanks to the balafon, I would one day step on this stage. Our parents and predecessors did not have this chance," he said, with a voice full of emotion.

Formed in 2007, when Côte d'Ivoire's military and political crisis was at its peak, the group had originally set for itself the goal to bring a bit of joy and love to the hearts of traumatized Ivoirians. The song Djarabikan, explains the band's artistic and administrative director, means "the voice of love" in Malinke (a language spoken in northern Côte d'Ivoire and neighboring West African countries).

Since its creation, the group goes from strength to strength. The band won the first prize at Sikasso's 2007 Balafon Triangle International Festival, held every year in Mali, as well as the first prize at the International Festival of Algiers, in Algeria. In 2015, they also won the golden prize at the Carthage Music Days Festival in Tunis.

Ensuring legacy

Beyond fame and rewards, the group seeks to preserve and promote their ancestral heritage, the balafon. "For these young people, playing this instrument is not only a passion, but also their life purpose," says Souleymane.

According to him, it is important to preserve the cultural heritage of their ancestors. "Don't we say that culture is what remains when a person has lost everything else?" he asked. That is why he calls on young Chinese people not to abandon their culture. He believes that people must accept the culture of others, while preserving our own.

"Culture is what makes us who we are. Chinese culture, of course, is different from the Ivoirian, French, or American cultures. But this difference can be an asset if we work together," he said. "Young Chinese may of course seek to discover other cultures, but they should always strive to assimilate the cultural heritage that their grandparents have left them. This is very important. And it is with this goal in mind that we work. I call on young Chinese people not to turn their back on Chinese culture."

The 38-year-old band director encourages the Chinese Government to strengthen its cultural promotion policy, so as to raise young people's interest in Chinese culture. "In 2015, for example, we witnessed a performance of Chinese acrobats in Côte d'Ivoire. It was extraordinary. The audience really enjoyed it. We need this kind of initiative to continue in the future. This will encourage Chinese youth to hold on to their culture," he told ChinAfrica. To preserve Ivoirian culture, his band has also organized courses for all young people who are interested in learning how to play the balafon in Côte d'Ivoire, to ensure that future generations can enjoy this unique instrument and its culture.