Sona Jobarteh

Undisputed virtuoso of the kora, the Gambian artist Sona Jobarteh will be visiting Saint-Germain for an exceptional concert, blending gentleness and commitment, tradition and modernity. The kora, a 21-stringed harp from West Africa, has traditionally been played by male griots.

Sona Jobarteh has decided to change the rules and make it a female instrument.

A descendant of one of the great griot families of West Africa, and initiated into the instrument from an early age by the men of her family, she became the first professional female musician to carry this ancestral instrument proudly to the fore.

) before enjoying public and critical success from the release of her first album in 2008.

Captivating audiences all over the world with her bewitching melodies, her enthralling voice and her irresistible charisma, Sona Jobarteh is also a committed artist: a living memory of the Gambian people, devoted to passing on her heritage as much as to social issues, she has notably founded the Gambia Academy, a school where many children and teenagers learn to play the traditional instruments of Mandinka culture.

" – LE MONDE "Sona Jobarteh is the first female griot to be a virtuoso of the kora in Africa, and also an excellent singer and composer, blending traditional music, blues and afropop, for an impressive effect" – Robin Denselow, THE GARDIAN