teasing out a gently climbing series of scales. The kora has a timbre midway between a banjo’s and a harp’s. (Musicologists classify it as a “harp-lute.”) Ethereally delicate, it can also ...

Described as a cross between a harp, a lute, and a guitar, the kora is part of a musical tradition that dates back to the 13th century Mali Empire, which stretched across much of West Africa.