What is the kora used for?
The Gambia River valley is one of the main centres for the playing of this instrument. Its origins are obscure, but it is traditionally associated with royalty, the ruling classes, or religious practices. The kora is used by male musicians mainly to accompany narrations, recitations, and songs in honour of a patron.
Where does the kora come from?
West AfricaKora / Place of originWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Wikipedia
What instrument is originally from Africa?
Balafon. Played like the xylophone, the balafon is a percussion instrument and can be found in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso. It has been in recorded history since the 14th century and according to oral history (told by griots) the instrument originated from Mali.
Can anyone play the kora?
Traditionally, only a man born into a Jali (also spelled and pronounced Jeli, or Djeli) family can play the kora.
Who invented the banjo?
Joel Walker Sweeney is considered the inventor of the modern banjo almost as we know it today. He added a fretted neck used on other instruments such as guitars or mandolins as well as tuners.
What does the word kora mean?
Definition of kora : a 21-stringed African musical instrument resembling a lute.
What is the best known drum in Africa?
Djembe
The djembe (pronounced ‘jem-beh’) is one of West Africa’s best-known instruments, one of the most versatile and widespread percussion instruments on the planet. This goblet-shaped drum is traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and topped with an animal skin as a drumhead.
Did slaves make the banjo?
The banjo was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America. Here, they maintained and perpetuated the tradition within a complex system of slave-labor camps, plantations, and in a variety of rural and urban settings.
Why are banjos called banjos?
Several claims as to the etymology of the name “banjo” have been made. Among these is the connection to the West African Akonting. The akonting is made with a long bamboo neck called a bangoe. The material for the neck, called ban julo in the Mandinka language, gives Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, its name.
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