Sona Jobarteh

Granddaughter of Griot Amadu Bansang Jobarteh and cousin to the celebrated Kora maestro Toumani Diabaté. She is the first female Kora virtuoso to come from a West African Griot family. Breaking away from tradition, she is a modern day pioneer in an ancient, male-dominated hereditary tradition that has been exclusively handed down from father to son for the past seven centuries. She has modernised the presentation of Kora music bringing a rhythmic edge to her compositions that fits her remarkable voice.