Renowned Mali musician Ballaké Sissoko claimed today that US Customs in New York "completely destroyed" his custom-made kora, the West African instrument with which he performs. "The kora is a fragile ...

This is an updated version of a story first published on Nov. 13, 2022. Described as a cross between a harp, a lute, and a guitar, the kora is part of a musical tradition that dates back to the ...

“How come we’ve never heard of this beautiful instrument until now?” This was posted by a first-year college student to my world music course discussion board recently. He voiced what many of his ...

Tonight, we want to introduce you to a musician named Sona Jobarteh, who introduced us to the beautiful sound and story of a centuries-old instrument called the kora. It's a string instrument from ...

Ballaké Sissoko has criticised customs for causing severe damage to his tailor-made West African instrument, saying, “would US customs have dared to dismantle a Stradivarius?” Ballaké Sissoko, ...

The hallowed tradition of kora playing in Sona Jobarteh’s family passed down the male line. One of her teachers dismissed it as “an ethnic thing.” But it has brought her international acclaim. By Aina ...

"How come we've never heard of this beautiful instrument until now?" This was posted by a first-year college student to my world music course discussion board recently. He voiced what many of his ...