Sona Jobarteh
Maya Sona Jobarteh (* 1983 in London) is a musician, composer and actress and comes from a griot family from West Africa. She plays on the West African instrument kora, a 21 -string bridge harp and guitar. It is one of the few women who are in the griot tradition, usually the tradition is passed on from father to son.
She is the granddaughter of the late griot Amadou Bansang Jobarteh and cousin of the famous musician Toumani Diabaté kora. Her brother Tunde Jegede is also musically active. Jobarteh currently studying African Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Maya Sona Jobarteh was born in London and grew up there, playing on the Kora, she began to learn at the age of three years and she joined at the age of four years in London 's Jazz Cafe for the first time publicly. As a musician, she is a member of the " Tunde Jegede Ensemble" with which they have toured the UK, Ireland and parts of the Caribbean. She has collaborated with composers Michael O'Suilleabhain and Dónal Lunny on River of Sound with the Irish Chamber Orchestra with Evelyn Glennie. Further co-operation there was with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Milton Keynes City Orchestra and the Viva Chamber Orchestra. From 1999 she played in the band with Ocacia.