One secret of West African musicThe Cora is the godly 21-stringed harp from West Africa. It can be found principally in countries such as the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali where artists such as Toumani Diabate, Ba Cissoko and Baba Sissoko bring to life this instrument in all its colours.
The beauty of the Cora is the way it can operate at so many different levels. It can play high, middle, and low notes like most instruments, but the Cora can transcend these boundaries by giving the musician the option to play across all three tonal ranges simultaneously.
The result is mind-blowing: a single musician can provide a bass drum rhythm, add the melody, and then freestyle all at the same time.
The beauty of the Cora is the way it can operate at so many different levels. It can play high, middle, and low notes like most instruments, but the Cora can transcend these boundaries by giving the musician the option to play across all three tonal ranges simultaneously.
The result is mind-blowing: a single musician can provide a bass drum rhythm, add the melody, and then freestyle all at the same time.
I discovered the Cora 6 years ago walking through London's busy Leicester Square where I stumbled upon a musician getting elastic with his Cora. I can only say that it just stopped dead me in my tracks, and since then I've never looked back.
Here is small selection of Cora based music that I hope demonstrates how versatile this instrument is, and why it is a giant in its own right:
See below how Toumani Diabate leaves the Cello struggling for air:
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento