SONA JOBARTEH & BAND - KORA MUSIC FROM WEST AFRICA

KORA MUSIC FROM WEST AFRICA

SONA JOBARTEH & BAND

SONGWRITER:

COUNTRY: GAMBIA

INSTRUMENTS: KORA; VOICE; GUITAR & CELLO

ALBUM: FASIYA

LABEL: AFRICAN GUILD RECORDS

GENRE: ACOUSTIC WEST AFRICAN/MANDING

YEAR: 2011

Sona Jobarteh is the first female Kora virtuoso to come from a West African griot family. Breaking away from tradition, she is a pioneer in an ancient male-dominated hereditary tradition that has been exclusively handed down from father to son for the past seven centuries.

Reputed for her skill as an instrumentalist, distinctive voice, infectious melodies and her grace onstage, Sona has rapidly risen to international success following the release of her widely-acclaimed album "Fasiya" (Heritage) in 2011.

Born in London, Sona Jobarteh is a member of one of the five principal Kora-playing (Griot) families from West Africa, and the first female member of such a family to rise to prominence on this instrument. Before her, the playing of this 21-stringed harp-like instrument was exclusively passed down from father to son. The instrument is an important element of the Mandingo peoples in West Africa and their playing is reserved only to certain families called Griot. She is the granddaughter of the Master Griot of his generation, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, who migrated from Mali to the Gambia. Her cousin is the well-known, celebrated Kora player Toumani Diabate. She has studied the Kora since the age of three, at first taught by her brother Tunde Jegede, and then by her father, Sanjally Jobarteh. She gave her first performance at London’s Jazz Café when she was four years old.

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