This picture was on the front page of the New York Times Online today. The man shown here is named Balla Tounkara, and he is holding a Kora - "a 21-string instrument fashioned from a large gourd wrapped in cowhide, with a wooden neck and handles" as the NYT describes it. The one Balla is holding was most likely hand made to Balla's specific requirements making it an original piece of artwork and probably worth several hundred dollars.
Most koras in Mali are not as nice as the one pictured above though. The kora is one of Malian music's most common instruments much in the way the guitar is common to much of American music. In fact I have one. I never use it because I don't have a clue how to but I do have one. When I was living in Niono there was a vagabond musician who lived with me for 2 months or so. He played a killer Djembe (West African drum) but he was also a skilled kora player and he made one for me in exchange for having a place to crash. As you can tell from the picture below it is neither as beautiful as the Balla's nor is it worth as much in monetary terms. But the memories I have with it are priceless. I think most koras, because they are each hand-made, one of a kind pieces of art, carry very personal histories for their players.
Mali has a rich tradition which combines oral history and music. The fact that it is being shared with Americans in this traditional manner is only appropriate given its culture. I rag on Malian music a lot in this country (I just get too much of it), but I am sure that if I was in a New York subway I would spend a great deal of time blowing off my obligations in order to hear Balla share his country's rich history with all who are simply willing to stop and listen.
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