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UPSTATE BEAT – Sona Jobarteh is the first woman virtuoso on the kora, a challenging string instrument native to West Africa. The long-necked instrument, which combines features of the harp and lute, has 21 strings that Jobarteh deftly plucks with just four fingers — her face filled with emotion and concentration.
Jobarteh and her band bring their mix of traditional and modern West African music to Music Haven in Schenectady’s Central Park on Sunday at 7 p.m. for a free concert with local world music collective Heard.
The kora is part of a West Africa Griot tradition that dates to the 1200s in the Mali Empire, where the empire’s musicians and storytellers were men while the women were singers. The heritage of playing the kora has traditionally been passed down from father to son — until Jobarteh, the first woman to professionally master the kora.
“The sound of the kora is unique,” she said. “It’s an instrument that many people have described as having a very mystical sound. But for me the sound is connected to the heritage that it symbolizes since I grew up, from day one, hearing this instrument in my family. … I’ve [played the kora] for the whole of my life. So this is not something I look at as unusual or exceptional in any way.”
The daughter of a Gambian father and a British mother, Jobarteh studied cello as a child, but also found herself drawn to the kora and the tradition it represented in her family.
“I was taught when I was young by my brother and then I went on to study with my father when I was in my teens,” she said. “I grew up with music, and so it was just a normal part of everyday life and a part of my makeup.”
But Jobarteh recognizes the important role her music plays in inspiring others to cast aside traditional roles and adapt the music for modern times.
“What I do is important in the sense that it has a very inspirational and encouraging impact on other women to consider whether they, too, can find a place for themselves to take up this instrument or other instruments from the same culture that have been up until this point still only performed professionally by men,” she added.
Jobarteh is also a singer and composer who tours the world with her band, which blends traditional West African music with modern blues and Afropop. She sings in the Mandinka language native to The Gambia with a hypnotic, ululating style.
Jobarteh’s latest album, “Badinyaa Kumoo,” features guest spots from fellow Malian kora expert Ballake Sissoko and Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour.
Away from the stage, Jobarteh is an activist and humanitarian dedicated to creating a new model of African education. She founded The Gambia Academy, a small school dedicated to education reform and African culture. There, students study traditional subjects as well as dance, drumming and kora, and there are no gender or pedigree restrictions on who can play the instruments.
“Music is something that I use to spread a message to people. To be able to inspire people to partake in areas that I feel need more attention and also to encourage people to think a little bit more critically,” she said.
Led by composer Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius, the Capital Region global jazz and world collective Heard opens the show. For the Music Haven performance, Heard will be joined by special guests Jason Emmond on bass and Laura Andrea Laguia on saxophone.
For rain-date information, check Music Haven’s Facebook page on the day of the show.
The Week Ahead
- Influential Jamaican ska band the Skatalites — known for songs such as “Guns of Navarone” and for backing many Jamaican artists, including Bob Marley & The Wailers — livens up Jennings Landing tonight for Alive at Five. With Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets. 4:30 p.m.
- The Capital Region’s master of amusing karaoke and more Ritz Carlton brings his “Live Game Show” to No Fun in Troy on Friday. We don’t know what fun he has in store, but we can guarantee it will be entertaining. 7 p.m.
- Hudson Valley songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Laura Leigh melds old-time Appalachian Mountain music with country ballads and rock ‘n’ roll during her free afternoon performance at the top of the Cary Hill Sculpture Park overlooking sweeping farm landscapes at Salem Art Works on Saturday. 4 p.m.
- Don’t miss NipperFest Music & Arts Festival in Schenectady’s Central Park on two stages at Music Haven on Saturday — it’s sure to be a celebration of all things great about local music. Jocelyn & Chris headline the day that also includes Precious Metals, Brule County Bad Boys, The Sugar Hold, Hold on Honeys, Lucas Garrett, Barbie Barker, Sofia Corts and more. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann — known for her work in the 1980s with ‘Til Tuesday and more recently on acclaimed solo discs and the Grammy award-winning “Magnolia” soundtrack — comes to The Egg in Albany on Monday. Jonathan Coulton opens. 7:30 p.m.
- Troy’s Rockin’ on the River free outdoor concert series returns Wednesday in Riverfront Park with Conehead Buddha, one of the Capital Region’s original genre-blending bands that combines ska, rock, funk and more. Josh & Tracy opens. 5:30 p.m.
Contact Kirsten Ferguson at [email protected]
Categories: Entertainment, Life and Arts, Schenectady
