The Kora is widespread in the coastal states of West Africa (Senegal to Togo), as well as in Mali and Burkina Faso and is a popular solo and orchestral instrument there. It consists of a bulbous calabash body, a long neck and 21 strings arranged in two rows, has a wide range of playing possibilities and can be combined very well with voice, percussion and various melody instruments. Typical of the game on the Kora is rhythmically imaginatively designed melody improvisations.
Josh Doughty began learning Kora as a child. First with his father Adam Doughty, and later with Kora virtuosos such as Seckou Keita, Fily Cissokho and Surahata Suso. Since 2007, he has been a master student of Toumani Diabaté.
Josh teaches the principle of listening-seeing-playing without the use of notes. For intensive and individual learning, we work alternately in large and small groups. High-quality instruments are provided and can be rented or purchased. If the group size is sufficient, the individual workshops can be converted into an ongoing course.
The course language is English. The Kora courses (306A-C) are designed so that they can be attended individually or consecutively.