Sona Jobarteh

McIntyre Hall Presents

Friday, March 31 at 7:30pm

Gambian vocalist, kora master, and multi-instrumentalist Sona Jobarteh is a pioneering musical icon whose artistry is poised between the preservation of her rich cultural heritage and an accessible modern style. Born into a griot family, she is the first female artist within the more than 700-year old tradition to become a professional virtuoso on the kora.

The spirit of Sona Jobarteh’s musical work stands on the mighty shoulders of The West African Griot Tradition; she is a living archive of the Gambian people. The Gambian-British musician is the first professional woman kora player from one of the five principal kora-playing griot families from West Africa. The kora, a harp-like instrument, has been passed down for centuries among West African musical storytelling families, called griots. For much of that time, West African custom only allowed men to be paid for playing the kora. Sona Jobarteh changed that tradition. She began playing the Kora at age 3 and has performed all over the world. The extent of her recognition today is evidenced by more than 22 million+ viewers on YouTube and considerable numbers on other digital platforms.

Join us for a pre-concert talk 45 minutes prior to the concert.