Sona Jobarteh & Band — Weimar, 2015

On 1 July 2015, Gambian musician Sona Jobarteh performed with her band at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar, Germany, at the invitation of the UNESCO Chair of Transcultural Music Studies. The first female kora virtuoso — the West African harp-lute — from a griot lineage seven centuries old, Sona Jobarteh unfolds an elegant afropop, sung in Mandinka, in which the kora converses with an electric band. Filmed in full, this live concert film features pieces from her acclaimed album ‘Fasiya’ (2011) and foregrounds an artist who modernises a tradition while breaking gender barriers. Recorded in an academic setting, the capture offers clear sound and fine proximity to the instruments. Between griot heritage, limpid melodies and West African grooves, this full concert is an ideal gateway into world music and into the world of Sona Jobarteh, a modern ambassador of the kora on international stages — a warm, intimate live performance from a genuinely singular artist.