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T h e K o r a A 21-stringed "Harp-Lute", as defined by musicologists and found in various parts of West Africa (notably the Gambia and Senegal), is the chief instrument of the Mandiuka people. The Griot (or Jali) is the storyteller of the people. Accompanied by his kora, the Griot sings of his people's history in much the same way as the American delta blues singer. Hence, the kora is the earliest ancestor of the blues. The instrument consists of a calabash gourd cut in half and covered with a stretched hide. A cylindrical pole made of African rosewood (which can be as long as four feet), is fitted vertically into a hole at the top and bottom of the gourd. The upper half of the pole (or neck) is fitted with 21 leather rings which are used for tuning the nylon strings of the kora. The strings, which were once made out of gut, were replaced with fishing line. A bridge is placed on the face of the gourd where the strings are attached. It is played with the thumbs and index fingers. - daniel berkman |