kora

British  

/ ˈkɔːrə /

noun

1. a West African instrument with twenty-one strings, combining features of the harp and the lute

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Example Sentences

He added that he has often been offended by "people who have cliches about African music, who expect Africa to produce a certain type of sound" via instruments such as the kora or percussion.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Instead, he sings and plays a handful of self-made instruments: Chief Adjuah’s Bow, which blends the West African n’goni and kora with the European harp; a custom n’goni; and a Pan-African drum kit.

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2023

He scored the opening scenes, which paint a portrait of the vibrant, thriving Dahomey village, with African pastorale — bouncing a string orchestra along with a gentle groove on regional instruments including kalimba and kora.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2022

The latter’s 1974 single “Kalimba Story,” for example, inspired Williams’s use of the African thumb-piano on the song “Urban Driftwood,” which also features her on the harplike kora.

From Washington Post • Jan. 21, 2021

It’s like the first pluck of a kora string, and it reverberates through my entire body.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray