Complex sentence: Its heyday in Europe was from the mid- 18th to mid- 19th century, when it was commonly played by elaborately dressed black Africans, who made all manner of contortions while playing.
Split into simpler sentences: Its heyday in Europe was from the mid- 18th to mid- 19th century. It was commonly played by elaborately dressed black Africans, who made all manner of contortions while playing.