Jobarteh's mastery of the kora is a feat made even more remarkable when considering how complex the instrument is. Constructed from a type of gourd called a calabash, koras typically have 21 strings.

A master of the kora who worked with Herbie Hancock and Philip Glass, his career was powered as much by experimentation as by ...

That is, until Sona Jobarteh. At 39, she has become one of the foremost kora players in the world, performing with her band across Europe, West Africa, and here in the United States, as we saw in ...

Musician Toumani Diabaté of Mali and his 21-string kora, photographed at WOMAD -- the World of Music, Arts and Dance festival held yearly in the United Kingdom. Diabaté died on July 19 at age 58.