Ballaké Sissoko's custom-made kora was destroyed by US customs for no real reason

Sissoko's kora - a harp-like, traditional West African instrument - was destroyed when he opened his case in his Paris apartment on 4 February, having just returned from a US tour.

Inside the case was a note written in Spanish, which translates to: "Intelligent security saves time."

The statement on Sissoko's socials reads, "The kora is a fragile, hand-crafted instrument, and Ballaké's kora is tailor-made to his own specifications. It is an intrinsic part of his very special sound. Would US customs have dared to dismantle a Stradivarius? It its own way that is what has just happened to Ballaké. The neck of the kora has been removed. The strings, bridge and entire, delicate and complex sound system of amplification have been taken apart. The kora is in pieces. Even if all the components that have been dissembled were intact, it takes weeks before a kora of this calibre can return to its previous state of resonance. These kinds of custom-made koras are simply impossible to replace. They are certainly not available in shops."

Sissoko's statement adds, "In Mali, the jihadists threaten to destroy musical instruments, cut the tongues out of singers, and silence Mali's great musical heritage. And yet, ironically, it is the USA customs that have in their own way managed to do this. Would they have dared do such a thing to a white musician playing a classical instrument? What does this tell us about the attitude of the Trump administration towards African musicians?"

US Customs officials destroyed renowned Mali musician Ballaké Sissoko's kora. pic.twitter.com/NxXIQthUec

— luso mnthali (@malabousaza) February 5, 2020