The African Strings Ensemble Featuring Sona Jobarteh

Joe Galeota, a professor in the Percussion Department, presents the African Strings Ensemble with special guest Sona Jobarteh from Gambia, West Africa.

The African Strings Ensemble explores string based/influenced music from the African diaspora and rhythmic, melodic, singing, and cultural traditions. The group comprises harp, 10-string Brazilian mandolin, electric guitar, piano and synthesizer, bass, drums, percussion, and three female vocalists.

Sona Jobarteh is the first female kora virtuoso to come from a West African griot family. Breaking away from tradition, she is a pioneer in an ancient, male-dominated hereditary tradition that has been exclusively handed down from father to son for the past seven centuries. Renowned for her skill as an instrumentalist, distinctive voice, infectious melodies and grace onstage, Jobarteh rose to international success following the release of her critically acclaimed album Fasiya in 2011. She is currently finishing a new album and touring worldwide.

Jobarteh is the founder of the Gambia Academy of Music and Culture. At the heart of the institution lies the values of preserving and advancing tradition, cultural exchange, and social development—Jobarteh’s passions.

This concert is sponsored by the Performance Division, the Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, and Africana Studies.