Diaspora Arts Connection is proud to present Africa's first female griot kora player, Sona Jobarteh.
Sona Jobarteh creates a fine blend of traditional music, blues and Afropop. Born into the male-dominated Griot tradition, she’s a musical pioneer.
Coming from a revered dynasty of West African Griots, Sona plays the Kora, an African harp; taught primarily by her father Sanjally Jobarteh since 4, additionally at London's Royal College of Music in composition, bringing a uniqueness that has attracted 19 million YouTube views of “The Gambia." The Kora is played exclusively by a few ancient Manding families of West Africa. Sona leads - as vocalist and Kora player - a soft rock band playing a mix of her ancestral cultural heritage, western classical music and rock.
Live, Jobarteh brings astonishing energy and vibrancy to her annual schedule of 60 plus concerts worldwide. She says of her live work, “It makes Africans really feel something, to see that someone is being respected to sing in their own language, dress in their own clothes, play their own music. That is a message not just for Gambians — it’s for the whole African continent.”
Sona’s dedication to spreading powerful humanitarian messages through her songs and her stage performances makes her much more than a musician; she is active in social change and leads by her own example. Sona single handedly set up The Gambia Academy, a pioneering institution dedicated to achieving educational reform across the continent of Africa. This Academy is the first of its kind to deliver a mainstream academic curriculum at a high level, whilst also bringing the culture, traditions and history that belong to its students, to the front and centre of their everyday education. These efforts have gained her invitations to deliver speeches at high profile events around the world – including summits for the UN, the World Trade Organization and UNICEF.
“Sona Jobarteh is Africa’s first female griot kora virtuoso, and also a fine singer and composer, blending traditional music, blues and Afropop to impressive effect” – Robin Denselow, The Guardian
Purchase tickets and check out the event page on Facebook below!
