"An Evening with Sona Jobarteh"

As the first professional female virtuoso of the stringed kora, an instrument historically reserved for male griots, Sona Jobarteh brings a powerful new voice to a centuries-old West African tradition. Performing with her band, she blends intricate kora playing, expressive vocals, and buoyant rhythms to move seamlessly between traditional Mandinka songs and contemporary influences. 

Born into one of Gambia’s great griot families, Jobarteh carries forward an ancestral legacy of storytelling, while shaping its future on the global stage. Both intimate and electrifying, her performances invite audiences into a living musical tradition where history, artistry, and modern energy meet.

About Sona Jobarteh

Sona Jobarteh is reputed for her skill as an instrumentalist, distinctive voice, infectious melodies, and grace onstage, and she has rapidly achieved international success as a world-class performer. Preserving her musical past, Jobarteh innovates to support a more humanitarian future. 

Jobarteh’s music stands on the mighty shoulders of the West African griot tradition — she is a living archive of the Gambian people. Her lineage carries a formidable reputation for renowned kora masters, most notable among whom are her grandfather, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, and her cousin, the legendary Toumani Diabaté. With one ear on the family’s historic reputation, one on the all-important future legacy, and her heart in both places, she is preparing a place today for the next generation. Her singing and kora playing while fronting her band spring directly from this tradition. 

With over 23 million views on YouTube and considerable numbers on other digital platforms, she paves her own path in the music industry while singing in her native languages. 

Jobarteh has performed throughout the U.S., from the Hollywood Bowl in L.A. to Symphony Space in New York City, and at the WOMAD festival in Australia and New Zealand. She has played sold-out shows in London at the Barbican, at Cologne’s Philharmonie, and at Seine Musicale in Paris. These performances are underpinned by her skills as a composer, honed during her early days at London’s Royal College of Music and Purcell School of Music. 

She scored the film Motherland in 2010 and by 2022 was scoring for the Hollywood blockbuster Beast, starring Idris Elba; co-writing a track on LL Cool J’s latest album with Q-Tip; and filming several of her live shows for CBS’ 60 Minutes.

Jobarteh’s dedication to spreading powerful humanitarian messages through her songs and stage performances makes her much more than a musician; she is active in social change and leads by example. She singlehandedly established the Gambia Academy, a pioneering institution dedicated to achieving educational reform across Africa. This academy is the first of its kind to deliver a mainstream academic curriculum at a high level, while also bringing the culture, traditions, and history that belong to its students to the front and center of their everyday education. These efforts have led to invitations to speak at high-profile events around the world, including summits for the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and UNICEF.

This is Sona Jobarteh's first performance at the center.

Photos by Dan Pier Paris and Rob O'Connor, courtesy of Sona Jobarteh

* Run times listed here are based on information provided at this time and are subject to change.