This is more or less a supplementary post to my original post about the kora in jazz – I wanted to highlight a few more instances of interesting kora usage in non-African traditions.
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The Kora and Jazz in America – Two Album Reviews
As with many instruments associated with “World Music”, the 21-string harp known as the Kora has had a relatively successful career infusing traditionally Western musics with a (for better or worse) “exotic” sound. The Kora in particular has struck a chord with jazz musicians who have used it to enhance the sound of their ensemble. Generally the musicians that promote this type of sonic exploration would locate themselves on the fringes of genre definition, and so it would come as no surprise to jazz listeners that two of the more adventurous musicians in jazz, Herbie Hancock and Sun Ra, have both featured the kora on records and in live performances. In my first example, the Kora is played by a professional African Kora player, and in the second, an African American jazz musician associated with the avant-garde/experimental movement. Each player has his own way of utilizing the instrument and musical contexts in which he is located.
