Kora impress offshore

Whakatane band Kora is steadily building an international fan base to rival its one in NZ. The five-piece band – which consists of brothers Brad, Stu, Laughton and Francis Kora, and Dan McGruer – has just returned from a lengthy tour of Australia and the UK. Brad nominates a sold-out show at London’s renowned Koko club in Camden as a highlight of trip. “There were many industry people checking us out and Yamaha representatives came up to me for an endorsement of their drums,” he said in an interview with the Whakatane Beacon. Kora’s self-titled debut album was released in late October.