The Birth of the Jazzy-Kora — A Chromatic Kora

The Birth of the Jazzy-Kora

The first times I heard the traditional kora were through the playing of Toumani Diabaté and Mamadou Diabaté. I felt as though I had entered a world that was at once ancient, modern, and almost transcendent — a sound universe that goes straight to the soul and opens the imagination. With its large calabash covered in stretched skin and its 21 strings, the kora seemed to me almost unattainable. Yet the desire to try, and eventually to build one, gradually took over.

After having made a first 32-string kora and developed a more unique playing style while remaining faithful to the spirit of the instrument, I wanted to go further: to imagine a real chromatic kora, and not a kora simply equipped with half-tone levers.

Unique in the world, the Jazzy-Kora stands out with its wooden body and soundboard, pierced with soundholes like those of a cello or a double bass. With its 32 strings and two pedals, it opens the instrument to new horizons: chromaticism, of course, but also effects reminiscent of guitar bends, which further expand the range of possible expressions. The pedals thus become a true extension of the playing, linking hands and feet in the same musical gesture.

But what makes it truly unique is that it is the only one that fully deserves the name of ‘chromatic kora.’ Just as a Celtic harp equipped with semitone levers is not called a ‘chromatic harp,’ a kora with such levers should not be mistaken for a true chromatic kora. The Jazzy-Kora makes a new voice heard, like an unwritten chapter added to the great score of this instrument.

The Jazzy-Kora is not meant to replace its ancestor, but to extend its story: a bridge between memory and invention, between Africa and the West, between living tradition and sonic exploration. It was born from a dream that once seemed impossible, turned into reality through my hands… and my feet! A reality that, I hope, will continue to resonate and evolve for a long time to come.

Discover the Jazzy-kora in video