Sona Jobarteh

World Music Institute and Brooklyn Bowl present Sona Jobarteh, Gambia’s first female kora virtuoso Preserving her musical heritage, Sona Jobarteh embraces innovation to foster a more humanitarian future. Her musical journey is deeply rooted in the rich West African Griot tradition, making her a living repository of Gambian culture. With one ear tuned to her family’s historic legacy and the other focused on what’s ahead, she is carving out a space for the next generation, and the BBC World Service hails her as “a griot for a new generation of West Africans”. Her singing and kora performances, showcased with her band, are direct expressions of this tradition.