Maya Sona Jobarteh is a member of one of the five principal Kora-playing (Griot) families from West Africa. She is the granddaughter of the Master Griot of his generation, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, and cousin of the well-known, celebrated Kora player Toumani Diabate. She has studied the Kora since the age of three, and gave her first performance at London’s Jazz Café when she was four. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~As a performing musician, Maya is a regular member of the Tunde Jegede Ensemble, which has toured England, Ireland and parts of the Caribbean. In this Ensemble she plays Kora, guitar and sings. She has given solo performances for both television and radio since an early age. She has collaborated with composers Michael O'Suilleabhain and Donal Lunny on River of Sound with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, featuring Evelyn Glennie. Other collaborative work with orchestras have included performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Milton Keynes City Orchesrtra and the Viva Chamber Orchestra. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Maya also featured on Damon Albarns Mali music Project which performed for Jools Holland in 2002. The same year she travelled to Vienna to perform with the renowned Jazz vocalist Cleveland Watkiss and also formed a part of his support act for Cassandra Wilson at the Barbican.Maya has contributed to the well-established composer/musician Tunde Jegede’s albums Malian Royal Court Music and Lamentations. For these she composed two pieces and played the Kora. One of the compositions ‘Song of a Waterfall for Kora and cello also featured on the album Trans Planet Vol. 5 which was released on Triloka records, Virgin in the states. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 2003, Maya began working own her own compositions, giving a voice to her musical curiosity. She became interested in aspects the bind the music of the African Diaspora and mainland Africa and formed her first ensemble known simply as the 'Eclipse Ensemble'. Playing a mixture of modern West African Music mixed with Soulful vocals, her debut performance in Londons vibrant arts heartland: Hoxton, won Maya a new generation of fans and admirers.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maya has since collaborated with the distinguished spoken word artist HKB FiNN. She was a vocalist on his album Vitalistics and co-writer and vocalist on his last album Acoustic Afro Hip Hop. She has produced several songs for his album Spoken Herbs, and for his recent album 'Light in the Shade of Darkness'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She divides her time as a performer with teaching the Kora and has been sharing the extensive knowledge of the Kora to a new generation of people interested in learning how to play this most exquisite instrument. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sona has just competed her debut album entitled 'Afro Acoustic Soul', onsale 12th March 2008. Maya 'Sona' Jobarteh is a fabulous musician and a fantastic performer, who brings a dignity to the art of music in a way only she can. It's just begun...
TO BUY ALBUM VISIT
WWW.MAYAJOBARTEH.COM
