Kunda Drame - African Tribal Rhythms: Kora Fola (1999)

Kunda Drame is a native of Cassamance in the Senegal Province between Gambia and Guinea Bissau. At the age of five, he started to learn the Kora (a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa) from his uncle, Lalokiabah Drame who was the resident Kora player for Radio Senegal for many years. Kunda plays in a traditional Cassamance style of Kora and tunes it very high to the upper limit of Kora, just above A. He plays his Kora equally at ease in the tunings - Tilibu, Silibah, and Tomara. In this recording, Sonkunsedy is in Tomora, which has two notes on standard pitch and five somewhat sharp in a seven note scale.