Nicola Bell, Traditional musical instrument makers (Documentary/Photojournalism)

These photos form part of an ongoing personal series of musical instrument makers at work around the world, many of whom have had their craft passed down to them through generations. The cymbalsmiths at the Bosphorus factory in Istanbul smelt bronze at almost 2,000°C and mostly handshape it into cymbals, amidst sparks, smoke and dust; almost exactly the same way as has been done in Turkey, where cymbals were invented, for centuries. The proud Wagilak and Ritharngu men in the remaining photos also craft their instrument, the yidaki or didjeridu, in much the same way as their ancestors have for perhaps thousands of years, and which is indigenous to their home of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. ¬¬

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.