Kora harp-lute strums Mandinka epics across the Sahel
The kora, a 21-string West African harp-lute, enables Mandinka griots to weave and perform epic tales that resonate across the Sahel's cultural landscapes, preserving history.
The kora, a 21-string harp-lute, is central to Mandinka musical traditions in West Africa. Skilled hereditary musicians, called jali or griots, use this instrument to perform ancient epic stories, like the 13th-century Epic of Sundiata, which recounts the founding of the Mali Empire.
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