Sona Jobarteh is the first female Kora virtuoso from a prestigious West African griot family, coming from a long line of hereditary musicians. She is the grand daughter of the master griot, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh and cousin to the celebrated Kora maestro Toumani Diabaté. As a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and producer Sona works with musicians from around the world.

In her teenage years, Sona attended the Royal College of Music where she studied cello, piano and harpsichord, and soon after went onto the Purcell School of Music to study composition. During this time she was involved in working on several orchestral projects including the ‘River of Sound’ with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, featuring Evelyn Glennie and other collaborative works including performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Milton Keynes City Orchestra and the Viva Chamber Orchestra.

Sona initiated a music school in the Gambia. The school is named after the great master Griot of his generation and iconic Gambian musician Amadu Bansang Jobarteh to mark and honour the legacy he left behind by sharing it with the younger generation of aspiring musicians as a means of sustaining this invaluable tradition which has been one of the corner-stones of Manding culture for over seven centuries.

The school is a specialist school for the exclusive study of Manding music in The Gambia. It is situated in the village of Kembujeh and was originally informally set up in 2006 by Sanjally Jobarteh.The school aims to gather the last remaining ‘elders’ in the region rooted in the griot tradition in order to share their knowledge collectively with the next generation of musicians who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study with such people.

The art of the kora is an ancient one, and among the Manding people of Western Africa, the group of people designated to carry it on are called the Jelis. Jeli musicians are actually members of a musical caste, responsible generation after generation to hold on to their traditions. Because they are members of a caste, you'll often see the same last names popping up among Jeli musicians, and they are often related to each other. The last name ‘Joberteh’ is a name that among the Manding people indicates a family from a musical caste, known throughout Africa as griots and among Manding people as jelis. Jelis are more than musicians; they are historians and keepers of culture.

For the past six years Sona has been teaching the Kora to students in North London. Known for her unique teaching style, she has developed a method which enables anyone to grasp a good understanding of this amazing musical instrument. Her students range from professional musicians, to beginners, to students from Universities such SOAS and Goldsmiths. As a versatile artist, Sona has collaborated as a singer, guitarist and Kora player with highly-respected musicians such as Cleveland Watkiss, Oumou Sangaré, Kasse Mady Diabaté, Toumani Diabaté, Juldeh Camara, and Damon Albarn. Sona is also a member of the African Classical Music Ensemble which tours worldwide under the leadership of composer Tunde Jegede.

Sona recently completed "Motherland: The Score" for the multi-award winning film ‘Motherland’ directed by Owen ‘Alik Shahadah in which she pioneers a new genre in African cinematic music. Sona’s new album FASIYA, which has recently been released takes her musical expertise to a completely new level. Drawing on her unique heritage and bringing in a selection of top-class West African musicians such as Juldeh Camara, Sankung Jobarteh, Femi Temowo, Baba Gallé Kante, Babacar Dieng, and Surahata Susso this album is a real gem.