Dawda Jobarteh was born in gambia in 1976. He is born in a Gambian musician family- a so called griot family. In Gambia the musical profession is inherited. Dawda's dad, grand dad, great grand dad etc. were all griots or 'djelis' which means bardsLong time ago-back in 1982- I had my very first travel to Gambia. In Brikama town I met some of the world's best koraplayers - Alhaji Bai Konteh and Malamin Jobarteh.
In the compound i also met the very young talented musician - Dawda JobartehHe grew up in the center of Mandinka griot music and comes from the strong tradition of his grandpa Alhaji Bai Konteh - his two uncles Malamin Jobarteh and Dembo Konteh and his father Amadou Bansang Jobarteh.I knew Dawda as a very powerful drummer and percusiionist when I began to work with him in the middle of the 90'ies. But suddenly he took up his kora and began to work intensively in and outside his family tradition as a musical story teller and improviser.Today he is the most wellknown kora player in Denmark. Musical and technical he developed the instrument so he can fly freely among musicians in all styles.He belongs to the new generation of young musicians in torday's global world.I can recommend Dawda - not only as a musician - but besides he is a very warm person who understands the contrasts of "deepness" and humour.Pierre Dørge
Composer and band leader,
New Jungle Orchestra
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