Kora.wpntr2018-12-19T18:19:14+00:00‘‘Kora’ has a round, straight neck made from hard Keno wood. The number of the strings (generally 21) can change and they lie parallel in two levels vertical to the resonators top. While the strings were once made from impala skin, nylon is usually used to produce the strings in our times. Two wooden vertical sticks and one horizontal stick strengthen the big body made from calabash. The two vertical sticks passes over the cover and the player holds them while playing the instrument. He pulls the strings with his indexfinger and thumb by pulling the instrument to himself. This intrument is played by a ‘Jali’, a professional player, in the Mandinka community (in Gambia, Mali, Guinea, Bissau and Senegal). He accompanis dances and cerenomies. There are a lot of myths about how Kora first appeared. It seems to be certain that it is played in the Kaabu kingdom (Guinea-Bissau) in the 19th century and spread to the other places from there. Another assumption is that it was come about by developing from the ‘Dsongo Ngoni’ (an instrument which is still played by the Diola tribes) 