sona jobarteh uk tour

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Saturday 11 May 2024

Sona Jobarteh

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Silk Street EC2Y 8DS London, UK 020 7638 4141 www.barbican.org.uk/

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Doors open: 19:30

Multi-instrumentalist and esteemed kora player, Sona Jobarteh performs her expansive and ambitious sophomore album Badinyaa Kumoo as part of her tour.

One of five principal kora playing families from West Africa, Jobarteh stands on the mighty shoulders of her musical tradition which she seamlessly mixes with Western instrumentation.

Preparing a place for the next generation Jobarteh blends traditional music with blues and Afropop with her new album Badinyaa Kumoo (Words of Unity). With this plethora of new compositions Jobarteh explores the familial bond and through her performance extends the invitation to the audience, inviting us all in, reflecting the wider unity of humanity.

Fronting her band as Africa’s first female griot kora virtuoso Jobarteh’s performance springs directly from tradition, with vocals performed in Mandinka alongside djembé and calabash.

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Sona Jobarteh

About Sona Jobarteh

“Sona Jobarteh is Africa’s first female griot kora virtuoso, and also a fine singer and composer, blending traditional music, blues and Afropop to impressive effect” – Robin Denselow, The Guardian

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. With one ear on the family’s historic reputation, one on the all-important future legacy and her heart in both places, she is preparing a place today for the next generation. Her singing and Kora playing while fronting her band, spring directly from this tradition. The extent of her recognition today is evidenced by more than 23 + million watchers on YouTube and considerable numbers on other digital platforms. All this despite singing in her native  languages and keeping to her own path within the music industry.

Sona Jobarteh’s Live performances and speaking engagements zoomed to 52 performances with 12 sell outs during 2019 and post-pandemic to 67 in 2022; she completed 15 dates in USA from the Hollywood Bowl in LA to Symphony Space in NYC; she added WOMAD Australia and New Zealand. Sona has increased her audiences in London to sell out 1200 seats at The Barbican, 2,000 in Cologne’s Philharmonie, when playing Paris for the second time at Seine Musicale it sold out all 1200 places. These band performances are under-pinned by her skills as a composer arising from early days at London’s RCM and Purcell School of Music. She scored the film Motherland in 2010 and by 2022 was scoring some of the Hollywood blockbuster “Beast” starring Idris Elba, co writing a track on LL Cool J’s latest with Q Tip and filming several of her live shows for NBC’s “60 minutes”.

Sona’s dedication to spreading powerful humanitarian messages through her songs and her stage performances makes her much more than a musician; she is active in social change and leads by her own example. Sona singlehandedly set up The Gambia Academy, a pioneering institution dedicated to achieving educational reform across the continent of Africa. This Academy is the first of its kind to deliver a mainstream academic curriculum at a high level, whilst also bringing the culture, traditions and history that belong to its students, to the front and centre of their everyday education. These efforts have gained her invitations to deliver speeches at high profile events around the world – including summits for the UN, the World Trade Organization and UNICEF.

Sona made 63 worldwide concert appearances in 2022, including a US Tour of 10 shows that followed on the heels of her Senegalese tour. Nevertheless, she managed to squeeze in special projects – 1) a  commission for a guest spot from Q Tip  producer of the forthcoming LL Cool J album, 2) a featured track for Hollywood blockbuster movie “Beast”  starring Idris Elba 3) a 15 minute feature on CBS news “60 Minutes” program due to air this October, just in time to coincide with the release of her long awaited second album – “Badinyaa Cuomo “ featuring Youssou N’Dour, Ballake Sissoko and Kirk Whalum.

Per New York City’s guidance, Sony Hall is requiring all guests, staff & musicians ages 12+ to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter. Children ages 5 to 11 must have received at least one dose. Proof of vaccination may include your physical CDC card, photo of your CDC card, NYC Covid Safe App, or the NYS Excelsior Pass. In addition to the vaccination policy, New York City continues to encourage masks for all indoor gatherings, except while you are actively eating and drinking.

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Sona jobarteh.

https://sonajobarteh.com

The release of her long-awaited 2nd album Badinyaa Kuomo, voted Songlines ‘Best Album 2022’, has reinforced Sona’s standing as Africa’s first female griot kora virtuoso and exceptional composer. Sona Jobarteh has been described as a ‘living archive’ of the Gambian people, with one ear on her family’s history and reputation, the other on the future legacy of her craft. Her live performances are both prolific and powerful. Her ability to sell out venues worldwide speak to her capacity to enthral audiences internationally while singing in her native languages and blending the traditional with the contemporary. Unusually for a kora player Sona is backed by a full band of electric guitar, bass and two percussionists, and she herself plays percussion, bass, guitar, and cello as well as kora. Her incredible musical talent is matched only by her dedication to spreading powerful humanitarian messages through her songs and her stage performances. True to the ancient griot role of cultural leaders, Sona has singlehandedly set up The Gambia Academy, a pioneering institution dedicated to achieving educational reform across the continent of Africa. In Sona’s own words, “education in the Gambia is still a legacy of the colonial system. Why should learning the kora or djembe be extra-curricular?”

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Sona jobarteh, musician/composer.

Sona Jobarteh the first ever female virtuoso player of the kora. She is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist & composer from the Gambia and the UK. Combining the traditional elements from her rich cultural heritage with an accessible, modern style that relates to the current era and to audiences across the globe, she has become a griot for a new generation of Africans.

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sonajobarteh.bandcamp.com

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new album "badinyaa kumoo" out now!

Kora Virtuoso | Singer | Composer | Educator | Activist

Sona Jobarteh is a unique and pioneering musical icon of her time whose renown has been rapidly flourishing globally. 

Born into a Griot family from the Gambia, a tradition that dates back seven centuries, she is the first female within this tradition to become a professional virtuoso on the Kora. Her music is uniquely poised between the preservation of her rich cultural heritage and an accessible, modern style that relates to the current era and to audiences from all over the world. 

At the heart of her success as an artist is her dedication to humanitarian activism in the areas of social development and educational reform on the continent of Africa.  She is the Founding Director of The Gambia Academy , an institution dedicated educational reform for Africans on the continent of Africa.

2019 Hollywood Bowl. Sona Jobarteh 

The Gambia Academy

Headliner at major festivals around the world, her US tours included shows at  the renowned Hollywood Bowl and Symphony Space in New York City .

Sona Jobarteh's pioneering academy that she founded and runs in The Gambia demonstrates the need for  educational reform for young Africans. 

Sona wrote her first film score in 2010. Since then she has written and featured in numerous film scores.

Public Speaker/Activist

Sona Jobarteh conducts lectures, presentations and holds residencies in Universities and institutions around the world, specialising in the area of the Griot tradition and its relationship to contemporary society. 

Sona Jobarteh delivers speeches in the areas of educational reform, gender and entrepreneurship in Africa at high profile events around the world including summits for the UN and the World Trade Organization. 

LATEST NEWS

Sona jobarteh wins songlines music award, best album 2022 voted by songlines.

Badinyaa Kumoo was voted one of the best albums of 2022 by Songlines Magazine

Sona Jobarteh Receives Honorary Doctorate Degree alongside Usher and Roberta Flack

Sona Jobarteh has been hooded by Berklee College of Music with an honorary Doctorate Degree in Music, alongside Usher and Roberta Flack. Sona Jobarteh gave both an acceptance speech, and an address to the graduates of 2023. 

Sona featured on 60 Minutes

  Drawing on an extensive 4-hour interview with the celebrated TV personality Lesley Stahl in New York, this renowned US news program has showcased the unique life of Sona Jobarteh, her musicianship, and her academy in The Gambia. Their award-winning news team  filmed Sona in the Gambia, during her 2022 US tour, and at university lectures in the USA.

Sona Jobarteh commissioned to write song for latest Hollywood Idris Elba movie: Beast

Director Baltasar Kormakur brought on board the expertise of Sona Jobarteh to write an iconic song for his latest Hollywood film Beast, starring Idris Elba. The song titled N'na Duniyaa (Our World) is available now on all major streaming platforms. 

Guardian Newspaper Feature Article

Guardian journalist Robin Denselow writes an in-depth feature articel on Sona Jobarteh, her work, her ambitions and her academy. Read the full article:

Endorsement From Takamine Guitars

We are very happy to announce Sona's recent endorsement from Takamine Guitars. Sona has played their guitars for the last four years all over the world and their instruments are a perfect match for her music and her sound. Learn more about Takamine Guitars and Sona's endorsement. 

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Sona Jobarteh's Official Video "Gambia"

Sona jobarteh's 60 minutes feature, sona jobarteh's cnn african voices feature, join sona's mailing list.

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Sona Jobarteh

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As ConcertFix, we are thrilled to highlight the phenomenal talent of Sona Jobarteh. Hailing from The Gambia, Jobarteh is a pioneering figure in the West African musical scene as the first female virtuoso of the Kora, a traditional 21-stringed harp. Jobarteh's music is a mesmerizing blend of the ancient and the modern, seamlessly fusing traditional West African rhythms with contemporary pop influences. She is not just a musician, but also a composer, singer, and music educator, dedicated to preserving and promoting Gambian music and culture. Her performances are electrifying, marked by her soulful voice, intricate Kora playing, and captivating stage presence. Jobarteh's work transcends geographical and cultural boundaries, making her a global ambassador for West African music. We at ConcertFix cannot wait to see where her musical journey takes her next, and we wholeheartedly recommend her concerts to music lovers seeking a unique and enriching experience.

Sona Jobarteh Concert Schedule

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Sona Jobarteh showed up on to the Alternative scene with the release of tour album "Motherland - The Score", published on N/A. The song instantly became a success and made Sona Jobarteh one of the newest great concerts to attend. After the debut of "Motherland - The Score", Sona Jobarteh released "Fasiya" on N/A. The album "Fasiya" is still one of the more popular tour albums from Sona Jobarteh. The Tour Albums three top tracks included , , and and are a fan favorite at every show. Sona Jobarteh has released 6 more tour albums since "Fasiya". After 0 years of albums, Sona Jobarteh most popular tour album has been "Motherland - The Score" and some of the best concert songs have been , , and .

Sona Jobarteh Tour Albums and Songs

Sona Jobarteh: Motherland - The Score

• Battle of Qadesh
• Reflections
• Saya (Motherland - T...

Sona Jobarteh: Fasiya

Sona Jobarteh: Gambia

Sona Jobarteh: Badinyaa Kumoo

• Ballaké Sissoko
• Fondinkeeya

Sona Jobarteh: Putumayo Presents World Yoga

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