Editing Kora (instrument) (section)

==History==
[[File:Kora (Bridge-Harp Or Plucked Harp-Lute) (cropped).png|alt=Kora (Bridge-Harp Or Plucked Harp-Lute) from St. Cecilia's Hall Museum, Edinburgh|thumb|Kora (Bridge-Harp Or Plucked Harp-Lute) from [[St Cecilia's Hall|St. Cecilia's Hall]] Museum, Edinburgh]]
===Possible Antecedents===
In the 1300s, the traveller [[Ibn Battuta]] mentioned that the women who accompanied Dugha to perform were carrying bows that they plucked. He did not mention the number of strings, but this clearly shows the existence of harp instruments in 14th century Mali and could be the earliest written reference to the kora. The kora is designed like a bow with a gourd, similarly to Ibn Battuta's description, but Battuta did not go into enough detail about the instruments for them to be identifiable. 

===Legendary Origin===
[[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] oral tradition preserves several legends of the origin of the kora, but all of them claim that the instrument originated in [[Kaabu]]. In the stories, the famous [[Djeli|Jali]] Mady Wouling [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4qSOfgrccc&t=1s Cissoko] purchased the instrument from a [[djinn]] or spirit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Origines de la Kora |url=http://chantshistoiremande.free.fr/Html/origines1.php#bas1 |access-date=7 October 2024 |website=Chants et Histoires du Mande |language=French}}</ref> and was the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ak4c065qUs&t=6s first person to play the kora], the first song played was kelefaba.

===Modern history===
The earliest European reference to the kora in Western literature is in ''Travels in Interior Districts of Africa'' (1799) by the [[Scotland|Scotsman]]        
[[Mungo Park (explorer)|Mungo Park]]. 

The kora is mentioned in the [[Senegal]]ese national anthem "[[Pincez tous vos koras, frappez les balafons]]."

In the late 20th century, a 25-string model of the kora was developed, though it has been adopted by only a few players, primarily in the region of [[Casamance]], in southern Senegal. Some kora players such as [[Seckou Keita]] have double necked koras, allowing them to switch from one tuning to another within seconds, giving them increased flexibility.

The French Benedictine monks of the [[Keur Moussa Abbey]] in Senegal (who possibly were the first to introduce guitar machine heads instead of leather rings in the late seventies) conceived a method based on scores to teach the instrument. Brother Dominique Catta, choirmaster of the Keur Moussa Abbey,<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.abbaye-keur-moussa.org/|title=Abbaye de Keur Moussa au senegal et en france 72|first=Edem Oklouvi|last=okejust-communications-72.fr|website=Abbaye-keur-moussa.org|access-date=3 November 2018|archive-date=31 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031174000/http://www.abbaye-keur-moussa.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> was the first Western composer who wrote for the kora (solo pieces as well as duets with Western instruments).<ref>''Lumière Radieuse - Keur Moussa'', Art et Musique, 2007; ''Sénégal, Messe & Chants Au Monastère De Keur Moussa'', [[Arion (record label)|Arion]], 2010.</ref>

An electric instrument modeled on the kora (but made primarily of metal) called the [[gravikord]] was invented in the late 20th century by instrument builder and musician Robert Grawi. It has 24 strings and is tuned and played differently than the kora. Another instrument, the [[gravi-kora]], a 21-stringed electro-acoustic instrument, was later developed by Robert Grawi especially for kora players who wanted a modern instrument. Its playing and tuning are the same as the traditional kora.<ref>The gravi-kora in the Gravikord web site : http://www.gravikord.com/instrument.html#gravikord {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207045944/http://www.gravikord.com/instrument.html#gravikord |date=2011-02-07 }}</ref> The gravi-kora has been adopted by kora players such as Daniel Berkman,<ref>''Calabash Moon'', Magnatune, 2005 ; ''Heartstrings'', Magnatune, 2009. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRdNBQCjQq8 Video (Daniel Berkman on Gravikord, 1998) ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303084343/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRdNBQCjQq8 |date=2011-03-03 }}</ref> [[Jacques Burtin]],<ref>''Le Chant de la Forêt (The Song of the Forest)'', suite for kora, gravi-kora, flute and viola, Bayard Musique, 2008. [http://vimeo.com/16879519 Video (Gravi-kora improvisation by Jacques Burtin, 2010) ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114070153/http://vimeo.com/16879519 |date=2012-11-14 }}</ref> and [[Foday Musa Suso]], who featured it in recordings with jazz innovator [[Herbie Hancock]],<ref>''Village Life'', Columbia, 1985 ; ''Jazz Africa'', Polydor, 1987.</ref> with his band ''Mandingo'', and on Suso's ''New World Power'' album.<ref>''New World Power'', produced by Bill Laswell and Foday Musa Suso, Island Records, 1990.</ref>