“Someone who is Jali is not just someone who plays the kora, he is a person who sings; A person who uses poetry.”
“They were advisors to royalty because of their knowledge of tradition…They have poetry, as such, like Greek Homer, called Sundiata: the father of the Ancient Mali Empire. They have an epic…This long epic can go on all night.”
-Kwasi Ampene
Notation and Recording
How does one take an ancient traditional music form, originally used in storytelling and diplomacy, and put it on a record for the world to hear?
It's a question with no good answer, but that is exactly the direction that kora music is taking today. The recording of the kora, however, is not a new phenomenon. Europeans, Americans, and other colonizers have been attempting to notate, record, and "preserve" these forms of culture for over a century (Knight, The Mande Sound). Roderic Knight points out in his article Towards a Notation and Tablature for the Kora and Its Application to Other Instruments that the kora and the people who play it are entering a new era: one where ethnomusicologists are beginning to tabulate the music of the kora. He claims that this is an exciting time, and one that will shape griot culture in many ways. I feel concerned about this approach. While, like any culture, this is fluid and subject to change, the traditional knowledge sharing may then be undermined. |
Of course, it would be flippant to assume that the tabulature of the kora is only bringing about negative changes. Rather, it has stemmed a whole new interest in the instrument and the people who play it. Non-griots who are interested in trying out the kora or who are curious about how it is played can find tabs and notations now online with the click of a button. It is this kind of shift that has led to the creation of a whole new genre of music: World Music. http://www.derekgripper.com/african-guitar/ A kora and African guitar tabulature website. |
What the Hell is World Music Anyway?
World music as a genre takes many different forms. Whether incorporating the music of an area into another style a la Paul Simon, or emphasizing the solo art of an instrument or style, it can captivate a listener and add syncopation to music styles that previously did not incorporate those rhythms.
The other end of the spectrum is the act of playing the kora in a variety of music styles and compositions, including those of West African griots. Will Ridenhour is one such artist who chooses to play the kora at concerts, events, and for recordings. Is this counter-culture to Jaliya? Or is this an example of fluidity? There is no right answer there. I think what we can agree on is that however the music is captured, that it is respectful to it's rightful home and birthplace. |
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So Where do we go From Here?
The incorporation of the kora into world music is only one example of West African music and rhythms hitting the world stage with increased popularity in the last few decades. Even the way we define music is being reshaped with the help of studying music from the Gambia region and beyond.
Ryan discusses in depth if we can apply Western ideals about music to the kora and to West African music in general. While this is an open question, many have come to the conclusion that they are not mutually exclusive. Rather, there is an understanding among many that certain "western adhering genres" (eg. Rap, Hip-hop, Jazz, Reggae), are by and large influenced and created with West African music as a base. Some go as far as to say that those artists who play this music are examples of "modern day griots," while others emphasize that a traditional base understanding is required to preserve the "purity" of this beautiful instrument, and the cultures surrounding it. (Galvin). Whatever the answer, we can be sure that the kora is a fantastic instrument and the people who play it are highly skilled, talented artists.
Ryan discusses in depth if we can apply Western ideals about music to the kora and to West African music in general. While this is an open question, many have come to the conclusion that they are not mutually exclusive. Rather, there is an understanding among many that certain "western adhering genres" (eg. Rap, Hip-hop, Jazz, Reggae), are by and large influenced and created with West African music as a base. Some go as far as to say that those artists who play this music are examples of "modern day griots," while others emphasize that a traditional base understanding is required to preserve the "purity" of this beautiful instrument, and the cultures surrounding it. (Galvin). Whatever the answer, we can be sure that the kora is a fantastic instrument and the people who play it are highly skilled, talented artists.