Sona Jobarteh

The U.K.-based Gambian kora player and multi-instrumentalist, born October 17, 1983 in London, UK. She became the first female kora virtuoso from a highly respected family of musicians and griots (traditional storytellers who pass along family, village and tribal history from generation to generation). Her grandfather was Amadu Bansang Jobarteh. She began learning the kora at the age of 4, inspired by her revered father Sanjally Jobarteh. Her mother is Galina Chester and her brother is Tunde Jegede. Her uncle is Dawda Jobarteh, her 2nd cousins are Toumani Diabaté and Madou Sidiki Diabaté. Jobarteh also studied western classical music and plays cello, piano and harpsichord. She teaches kora to university students throughout the U.K. In 2015 she started realizing her vision for The Gambia’s first music academy and culture centre. She purchased 50 hectares of land in Kartong on which a campus will take shape.