Fine Handmade Koras

I am especially known for our fine handmade koras which I make myself, and sell online. My instruments are used by many well-known kora players, such as Sekou Keita, Jally Kebba Souso, Madou Cissokho etc.

The kora is one of the archetypal West African instrument and it has a long and venerable history. Traditional koras have 21 strings, eleven played by the left hand and ten by the right. The sound is rather like a harp, but the layout of the strings allows both hands to pluck the strings in polyrhythmic patterns. Riffs and improvised runs can by played at the same time by skilled players.

My koras are fitted with high quality contemporary machine-heads for tuning, so you spend less time tuning and more time playing! For those who would like to learn to play the kora, I, Jali Mbye, am available for private lessons.

Balafons/Marimbas

The Balafon is a type of Marimba originally from Mali. I make and sell a range of authentic Balafons.