Kora
Region: West Africa · Family: Double-bridge harp-lute · Date: 1300 CE · Strings: 21 (occasionally 22/23)
Overview
The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp-lute from the Mandé cultures of West Africa (Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, etc). It combines features of a harp (strings rising vertically from a soundboard) and a lute (skin-covered resonator, long neck). Its unique construction and appearance make it one of the most recognizable African instruments worldwide. The kora is often credited as the ancestor of blues and flamenco guitar fingerstyle techniques.
History
The kora is strongly associated with the jeli/jali/griot tradition. This tradition was very similar to bards – these were people who were similar to the English tradition of bards – hereditary musicians who serve as historians, praise-singers, and storytellers who would travel from town to town giving performances. Where an English bard would traditionally play a lute, griot would play a kora. Written descriptions of the kora appear in European travel accounts by the late 18th century, but oral histories place its development much earlier, likely at least 700 years old. Mythology holds that a griot who was given the kora by a djinn.
Over time, kora performance moved from royal courts and aristocratic patrons to radio, recordings, and global stages. Today it appears in traditional ensembles, solo recitals, fusion projects, and even symphonic collaborations, while still remaining deeply tied to Mandé identity and language.
Construction
The kora is built on a large calabash gourd cut in half and covered with cowhide, forming a resonating body. A long hardwood neck passes through the calabash. A tall, notched bridge stands on the skin top, and the 21 strings are divided into two vertical ranks: typically 11 on one side, 10 on the other. Players pluck with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands while gripping two handle posts on either side of the neck.
Originally, strings were twisted from animal hide or gut; many modern koras use nylon fishing line for tuning stability and durability. Traditional koras use leather tuning rings on the neck; contemporary instruments may add guitar-style machine heads or hybrid systems.