Singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Sona Jobarteh brings the Porquerolles Jazz Festival to life with the sound of her kora.
When Sona Jobarteh was born in London in 1983, the kora, an emblematic instrument of the Mandingue tradition, was still reserved for men, passed down from father to son for generations. But Sona Jobarteh broke with this tradition. A cousin of the renowned kora player Tunde Jegede, she began learning the instrument at a very young age and went on to become the first female professional musician to proudly champion this ancestral instrument.
Today, she is one of the most respected artists on the African continent. She composed the original score for Motherland by Alik Shahadah, the first African film score to gain international recognition. This success, along with that of her albums Fasiya (2011) and Badinyaa Kumoo (2022), has given Sona Jobarteh the perfect platform to share her committed and humanist ideals.
At Jazz à Porquerolles, Sona Jobarteh is joined by Sidiki Jobarteh Codjoe on balafon, Yuval Wetzler on drums, Andrew Mclean on bass, Eric Appapoulay on guitar, and Anselmo Neto on percussion. Together, the six musicians elevate Sona Jobarteh’s sense of groove and melody to new heights.