Sona Jobarteh on Tour - Interview

Sona Jobarteh is a humanitarian activist, educator and musician from the Gambia, West Africa. She is currently on tour in the United States and Europe including shows in Santa Cruz, California at Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Tuesday, April 1 and at Stanford at the Bing Concert Hall on April 3.

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.

This interview with Sona Jobarteh was originally broadcast on "Transformation Highway" with John Malkin on KZSC 88.1 / kzsc.org on March 27, 2025.