Kora
A West African bridge harp with usually 21 strings and a calabash resonator.
What it means
The kora is a West African harp-lute with usually 21 strings, running over a double bridge on either side of a long neck. Its body is a large halved calabash covered with cowhide, which acts as a resonator.
Musical use
The kora is the central instrument of the griots (jeliw), the traditional caste of musicians and storytellers in the Mande cultures of West Africa, including Mali, Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea. It is played with the thumb and index finger of both hands plucking strings on either side of the neck, while the remaining fingers grip the bridge to steady the instrument; the result is intricate, polyphonic-sounding ostinato patterns that carry bass, rhythm and melody at once. The kora differs from a harp in the strict sense through its bridge, which routes the strings in two parallel planes as on a lute, which is why it is classified as a bridge harp or harp-lute.
Performance practice
When approaching the kora, listen for the characteristic ostinato bass line played with the thumbs while the other fingers add melody and ornamentation — this interplay forms the rhythmic backbone of the playing.