The kora is a unique string instrument that combines features of a harp and a lute: 21 strings are attached to a long neck and stretched over a large resonator made from half a gourd covered with hide. The player holds the kora vertically and plays by plucking the strings with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands.
The kora is the instrument of the griots (jali), the hereditary singer-storytellers of the Mandinka peoples of West Africa, who for centuries have preserved in song the genealogies, history, and wisdom of their communities. Its sound is transparent and shimmering, resembling at once a harp and a harpsichord. Today the kora has stepped onto the world stage: masters such as the Diabaté family blend the ancient griot tradition with jazz, classical music, and world popular music.
