"A musician...who played the one-string moro, met on the bank of the Gambia river a strange musician who played a twenty-one stringed instrument, and who expressed the wish to exchange it for the one stringed instrument because he liked its sound. As part of the bargain the stranger undertook to teach the Gambian to play the new instrument. It is said that they met daily at midday to practice at the river bank. Later the stranger-musician wanted to take his instrument back, but the Gambian musician refused. He over-powered him and took the Kora, the twenty-one stringed instrument, home. When he told his wife what had happened, she advised him to cover the instrument with his trousers when he went to sleep so that the stranger might not find it if he came 'in spirit' to recover his instrument."
--Origin story of the kora, (Aning 1982, 164).
And I thought that I was the only one...
What is a kora?
The kora is an instrument tied closely to the cultures of West Africa. Found throughout modern-day Senegal, Mali, Gambia, and Guinea, the kora is deeply imbedded in Griot (Jali) culture and has been for hundreds of years. The kora has deep roots as an instrument of storytelling and folklore in 16th century West Africa, and has been played by the same musical guilds since then; however, this cultural framework is quickly changing, and today, the kora is played by many more diverse groups than in the past. Also influenced by this contemporary framework, is the construction of the kora. Since its origin, the kora has been constructed out of specific materials, gourds, wood, and sinew. In the modern age, this is changing as well, meeting demand with expedited creation of these timeless instruments, and potentially undermining its cultural importance. We will explore the big history of the kora, focusing on everything from the physical nature of the sounds it produces and the effect of the materials of which it’s made, to the social history of oral traditions and the shift from court musicians to “world” musicians.
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Research Questions
Below are some of the original research questions that we asked ourselves before creating this site:
- What are the origins of the kora? Why do only select groups of people play it?
- How is the kora played, and what makes it different from other instruments?
- What are the physics of the kora? (eg. sound waves, resonance, etc…) How do the materials it's made of affect its sound?
- How has the kora changed over time? What has influenced it to change?
- Where does the kora stand in terms of other instruments in West Africa?
In researching, of course, many other questions and topics emerged. The questions above are answered throughout our four pages, and each page gives a little big history of a particular aspect of the kora. There is no preferred order of pages; each page is a big history in its own right, and the pages frequently link to each other for supplementation. Here is the breakdown:
The Music of the Kora
Ryan's page is dedicated to all things musical about the kora. On his first page, an introduction to some important physical concepts about stringed instruments is provided. Then, a description of the music of the kora is given. Here, the tuning, scales, and rhythm of the kora are discussed at length. All these aspects are compared to Western music, and on the final page two songs are analyzed in terms of the topics previously discussed. Finally, a discussion of the kora's emergence to a global stage is discussed in terms of music.
Jali Culture
Max's page is dedicated to the culture of griots, or jali, the players of the kora as well as the history which informed their societal position. On his page, he talks about cultural aspects of language, origin stories, and the importance and function of griots in West Africa. Further mentioned are colonialism and the Triangular Trade.
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The Construction and Tuning of the Kora
Noah's page takes an in depth look at the tuning of the kora. In particular, he looks at changes over time in tuning, how tuning the kora is physically done, and much more. He also compares the musical scale of the kora with some Western musical scales. Finally, an account of the shape and construction of the kora and how it compares to other stringed instruments is given.
Diaspora of Jaliya
Jayk's page looks in depth at the diaspora of the Jali and, in particular, the kora and its music that is going along for the ride. On this point, he discusses 'world music,' how and where the kora fits in to this, and the future of the kora. Also mentioned is how to learn the kora, how griots use this to share knowledge and history, and the changing role of griots.
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