How to Build a Kora
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My first day in Mali not in jail. The in-jail story, suffice it to say, was some twenty years ago and is for later. Right now, just being here in Bamako, seat of high culture of the griot tradition, is dreamscape extraordinaire totale, bursting with life and heat. One of the big neighborhoods is Lafiabugu, or Rest, Please District.
And of course living at Ballike Sissoko’s house is also sleeping the life. Toumani Diabate lives next door. Yesterday Ballike tried out a new kora in the afternoon (he liked it): last night we visited Toumani’s music compound, and he played “Badjouru” with a wonderful jelimussow. Not since I sat on Lonnie Mack’s front porch…
First, go to market.
Go to calabash store, buy calabash (this giant dried gourd, cut in half, is primarily used as a kitchen bowl) (floating in a big bowl of water, it is used as a drum) (whole (small) calabash covered with beaded string you’ve got your shakeree).
Go to hardware/shoe store. Buy a roll of thin polyester fishing line, a medium size skein of medium size line, and a nice-sized line of the thickest. That’s just for the bass string. Buy a big nail that you’ll need to hammer into the ring you attach the strings to, below the bridge.
Go to the rosewood market, just outside of the general market. This wood is usually going for firewood. But you can pick out three nice sticks for the handles and cross piece, and then a big one for the neck. You’ll need some thin strips for the bridge, too.
It’s quite a walk to the cowhide makers’. And quite a smell once you get there. Lots of cowhides stretched in this pole barn, finished ones are strewn about on the dusty grass in front. To the left, fresh skins are scraped (all meat goes straight to the barbecuers next door), salted, rinsed and piled to drain. Lashed into vertical drying rack. When dried, stacked. Eventually exported all overt the world. Except for the occasional kora.
As for the carpet tacks, well, the best thing is to have Papa Susso bring them with him from the United States and present them in wonderful Presentation of the Carpet Tacks Ceremony.
Go home to compound. Trim and cut cowhide into two or three kora-sized pieces. Sketch circles with knife – use stone jutting up in courtyard to sharpen knife – cut circular kora skin, reserving leftovers for braiding dried skin and using as tuning rings, each with a string attached. Dunk and leave sit in lime water for two days. During this time you can make the handles and cross piece – use an adze to find them inside the rosewood. Use the same rosewood tree joint which has been handed down from your father as a brace to shape and carve. Use a file and sandpaper to get some aesthetics going. You can file down the kora so the rim is flat. You can notch the bridge – eleven notches on right, ten on left, the kora has 21 strings in a pentatonic scale (some use 25). A cross between a harp and a lute. Played with thumb and forefinger of both hands – three back fingers curl around and hold the handle.
Ain’t no books to teach you how to. Find a kora and you’ll find a teacher.
Remove skin from lime and stretch on board leaning against tree. Scrape hair from hide with the same (sharp) knife. Bury skin flat in ground for several days. Uncover. Skin now stretchable. Poke holes and thread a rope through. Center calabash on skin. Pull up ropes (some use a white powder here, a kind of glue, others don’t). And use foot to hold rope down. Pull tight, using a rope tightener (wood rod). Lots of crisscrossing here, lots of oomph in the tightening.
OK.
Cut holes in skin at top and bottom, having decided which is top and bottom. “Screw” handles in; crosswise for crosspiece. Let sit in sun Braid cowhide strips. Cut hole for neck insertion. Insert neck (tuning rings are all in place, check). Thumbtack design – make it real, pretty, bold, hard. Cut resonator hold. More thumbtacks. String, tune, play. Don’t tell anyone. Play for everyone.
Beatriz Seigner
Or, Beatriz Seigner-Martin Leite. A genius goddess with a camera. Seeing her whirl in the midst of yesterday’s wedding, all the bridesmaids in brilliant orange, the camera hoisted above to catch the whirl…
Three Shoots One Day
The wedding, the School of Fine Arts (Jelimady Sissoko, from the compound, is a great kora teacher), and Jelimady again later playing with his band at the amazingly upscale Hotel Libya L’Amitie…
Sad, On Schedule
Starting to get sad around Papa. I miss him already. Ram calls – he’s putting Lamont on the plane. Our tour connection Dagui of Tellem Travel knows how to get a 30-day visa extension at the airport. Which means that Sunday we’re back on schedule – off to Djenne for the renowned Monday Market.
A Bamako Thanksgiving
My daughter calls and reminds me, (thank you Daisy!). I call up Spencer, who I met through the blog, to invite him to meet us a Djelimady’s concert. “Bob!” He says, “I heard about the concert, it’s supposed to be great. But I’m at the Ambassador’s having an American Thanksgiving!” That’s the story here, On the Griot Trail.
Bob Holman is the host of a new travel series focused on endangered languages called ON THE ROAD WITH BOB HOLMAN on LINK TV. He traveled to West Africa, Middle East and Asia and these are his blog stories from his travels. More information at http://www.rattapallax.com/blog/on_the_road/
And of course living at Ballike Sissoko’s house is also sleeping the life. Toumani Diabate lives next door. Yesterday Ballike tried out a new kora in the afternoon (he liked it): last night we visited Toumani’s music compound, and he played “Badjouru” with a wonderful jelimussow. Not since I sat on Lonnie Mack’s front porch…
First, go to market.
Go to calabash store, buy calabash (this giant dried gourd, cut in half, is primarily used as a kitchen bowl) (floating in a big bowl of water, it is used as a drum) (whole (small) calabash covered with beaded string you’ve got your shakeree).
Go to hardware/shoe store. Buy a roll of thin polyester fishing line, a medium size skein of medium size line, and a nice-sized line of the thickest. That’s just for the bass string. Buy a big nail that you’ll need to hammer into the ring you attach the strings to, below the bridge.
Go to the rosewood market, just outside of the general market. This wood is usually going for firewood. But you can pick out three nice sticks for the handles and cross piece, and then a big one for the neck. You’ll need some thin strips for the bridge, too.
It’s quite a walk to the cowhide makers’. And quite a smell once you get there. Lots of cowhides stretched in this pole barn, finished ones are strewn about on the dusty grass in front. To the left, fresh skins are scraped (all meat goes straight to the barbecuers next door), salted, rinsed and piled to drain. Lashed into vertical drying rack. When dried, stacked. Eventually exported all overt the world. Except for the occasional kora.
As for the carpet tacks, well, the best thing is to have Papa Susso bring them with him from the United States and present them in wonderful Presentation of the Carpet Tacks Ceremony.
Go home to compound. Trim and cut cowhide into two or three kora-sized pieces. Sketch circles with knife – use stone jutting up in courtyard to sharpen knife – cut circular kora skin, reserving leftovers for braiding dried skin and using as tuning rings, each with a string attached. Dunk and leave sit in lime water for two days. During this time you can make the handles and cross piece – use an adze to find them inside the rosewood. Use the same rosewood tree joint which has been handed down from your father as a brace to shape and carve. Use a file and sandpaper to get some aesthetics going. You can file down the kora so the rim is flat. You can notch the bridge – eleven notches on right, ten on left, the kora has 21 strings in a pentatonic scale (some use 25). A cross between a harp and a lute. Played with thumb and forefinger of both hands – three back fingers curl around and hold the handle.
Ain’t no books to teach you how to. Find a kora and you’ll find a teacher.
Remove skin from lime and stretch on board leaning against tree. Scrape hair from hide with the same (sharp) knife. Bury skin flat in ground for several days. Uncover. Skin now stretchable. Poke holes and thread a rope through. Center calabash on skin. Pull up ropes (some use a white powder here, a kind of glue, others don’t). And use foot to hold rope down. Pull tight, using a rope tightener (wood rod). Lots of crisscrossing here, lots of oomph in the tightening.
OK.
Cut holes in skin at top and bottom, having decided which is top and bottom. “Screw” handles in; crosswise for crosspiece. Let sit in sun Braid cowhide strips. Cut hole for neck insertion. Insert neck (tuning rings are all in place, check). Thumbtack design – make it real, pretty, bold, hard. Cut resonator hold. More thumbtacks. String, tune, play. Don’t tell anyone. Play for everyone.
Beatriz Seigner
Or, Beatriz Seigner-Martin Leite. A genius goddess with a camera. Seeing her whirl in the midst of yesterday’s wedding, all the bridesmaids in brilliant orange, the camera hoisted above to catch the whirl…
Three Shoots One Day
The wedding, the School of Fine Arts (Jelimady Sissoko, from the compound, is a great kora teacher), and Jelimady again later playing with his band at the amazingly upscale Hotel Libya L’Amitie…
Sad, On Schedule
Starting to get sad around Papa. I miss him already. Ram calls – he’s putting Lamont on the plane. Our tour connection Dagui of Tellem Travel knows how to get a 30-day visa extension at the airport. Which means that Sunday we’re back on schedule – off to Djenne for the renowned Monday Market.
A Bamako Thanksgiving
My daughter calls and reminds me, (thank you Daisy!). I call up Spencer, who I met through the blog, to invite him to meet us a Djelimady’s concert. “Bob!” He says, “I heard about the concert, it’s supposed to be great. But I’m at the Ambassador’s having an American Thanksgiving!” That’s the story here, On the Griot Trail.
Bob Holman is the host of a new travel series focused on endangered languages called ON THE ROAD WITH BOB HOLMAN on LINK TV. He traveled to West Africa, Middle East and Asia and these are his blog stories from his travels. More information at http://www.rattapallax.com/blog/on_the_road/
