Monday Open Thread | West African Music

Posted on May 13, 2019 by rikyrah

This week’s featured music is from West Africa.

Sona Jobarteh is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer from the Gambia and the UK. She was born in 1983[1] into one of the five principal Kora-playing Griot families from West Africa – she is the first female professional kora player[1][2] to come from a Griot family. She is the granddaughter of the Master Griot of his generation, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, cousin of the well-known, celebrated Kora player Toumani Diabate as well as the sister of the renowned Diaspora Kora player Tunde Jegede.[3]

Born in London,[1] Maya Sona Jobarteh is a member of one of the five principal Kora-playing (Griot) families from West Africa, and the first female member of such a family to rise to prominence on this instrument. The playing of this 21-stringed harp-like instrument was exclusively passed down from father to son.[4] The instrument is an important element of the Mandingo peoples in West Africa and their playing is reserved only to certain families called Griot.[5]

She is the granddaughter of the Master Griot, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh (b.1915), who migrated from Mali to the Gambia. Her cousin is the well-known, celebrated Kora player Toumani Diabaté. Her mother is English (Galina Chester?). She has a son, Sidiki Jobarteh-Codjoe, born in 2010.[6]

She has studied the Kora since the age of three, at first taught by her brother Tunde Jegede, who is 11 years older, and with whom she travelled several times a year to the Gambia as a child, and then by her father, Sanjally Jobarteh. She attended the Royal College of Music, where she studied cello, piano and harpsichord, and soon after went on to the Purcell School of Music to study composition.[1][7] She also completed a degree at SOAS, University of London. She is fluent in Manding.

Check out Sona’s official website here.

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112 Responses to Monday Open Thread | West African Music

  9. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 4:06 pm

    Marcus H. Johnson (@marcushjohnson) Tweeted:
    I’ve been saying for months that Buttigieg is going nowhere because of his abysmal polling with Black people. Looks like the mainstream is finally figuring that out. Another 0% poll https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1128042131531210754?s=17

    Reply
  10. SouthernGirl2 says:
    May 13, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    Carson got a haircut…………

    Reply
  11. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    OT but breaking. Jimmy Carter has broken his hip from a fall at home, underwent surgery this morning.

    Reply
  15. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 2:29 pm

    Delinquent housewife: Felicity Huffman pleads guilty in deal with prosecutors that will land her in prison for at least FOUR months and require her to pay a $20,000 fine

    Felicity Huffman entered a plea of guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud
    She was facing a maximum of 20 years in imprison, but prosecutors recommended she serve just four months
    By CHRIS SPARGO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

    PUBLISHED: 10:55 EDT, 13 May 2019 | UPDATED: 15:23 EDT, 13 May 2019

    Reply
  16. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 2:28 pm

    David Reiss, M.D. (@DMRDynamics) Tweeted:
    Trump isn’t rage-tweeting about a “coup” only cause he’s irrational; he is irrational, but it’s also projection. The Trumpist “slow-moving coup” is picking up speed. The racist, autocratic, kleptocracy is digging in, democracy being dismantled. We’ve entered the #ReignOfInsanity https://twitter.com/DMRDynamics/status/1127775046984978433?s=17

    Reply
    • vitaminlover says:
      May 13, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      How a man treats his mother and sisters or other female relatives is more than likely how he will treat his wife. This is awesome! I tell my daughters this all the time.

      Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 11:09 am

    I really am enjoying the Masterpiece Theater version of Les Miserables. I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I have. :)

    Reply
  64. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 8:58 am

    Are they in states who rejected Medicaid expansion?
    Why do they keep on voting for muthaphuckas 😠 who endanger their health?
    The hospital isn’t just a place for care… it’s also a place for good employment opportunities. So, they are cutting off their noses in several ways 😒😒😒

    https://twitter.com/wpjenna/status/1127751996650479617

    Reply
  70. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 8:50 am

    The only good Nazi is a dead one.
    We had this discussion, 1939-1945.

    https://twitter.com/DavidCayJ/status/1127901793906720768

    Reply
  77. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 8:21 am

    Doris Day has passed away. She was 97.
    LOVED her in those movies with Rock Hudson.

    Reply
  79. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 8:11 am

    🤔🤔🤔

    Marcus H. Johnson (@marcushjohnson) Tweeted:
    Why do the candidates who are struggling the most with Black voters always talk about how much they dislike identity politics? Its like they don’t even want to win. https://twitter.com/marcushjohnson/status/1127679052805021697?s=17

    Reply
  85. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 7:16 am

    😂😂😂

    Yeah, anybody could have told you, that’s a lie.

    https://twitter.com/vexedinthecity/status/1127691259320131584

    Reply
  93. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 6:50 am

    Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) Tweeted:
    Chinese exporters to the US do not pay one penny of Trumps tariffs. US importers pay all tariffs which are then paid for by US consumers.

    Thank Trump for his tax hike. https://twitter.com/acnewsitics/status/1127628153604714497?s=17

    Reply
  103. rikyrah says:
    May 13, 2019 at 6:14 am

    Good Morning , Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply

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