Sona Jobarteh with Julia Ulehla
- Sona Jobarteh
- Julia Ulehla
As part of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, join us for a discussion with the Gambian multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer Sona Jobarteh.
Across the discussion, Jobarteh will demonstrate the kora - a twenty-one stringed instrument that combines features of the lute and harp. She will do this by playing some songs, and talking about the kora’s place within the West African griot tradition, including her unique place as the first female professional kora player from a griot family.
Throughout the event, Jobarteh will be joined in conversation by the Vancouver-based vocalist, composer, and ethnomusicologist Julia Ulehla.
About the Artists
Sona Jobarteh is a Gambian multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer. She is the first professional female kora player to come from any of the West African griot dynasties. Jobateh is reputed for her skill as an instrumentalist, her distinctive voice, infectious melodies and her onstage grace. Her live performances have quickly gained recognition, seeing her perform at some of the world’s most renowned festivals and venues. As a vocalist, Jobarteh has featured in several award-winning films.
Julia Ulehla is a vocalist, composer, and ethnomusicologist based in Vancouver, Canada. Having worked across avant-garde and new music contexts, Ulehla’s research focuses on traditional song from Slovácko, Czech Republic through a combination of ethnography, archival research, structural analysis, and the physical embodiment of song.
Accessibility
The Grand Luxe Hall is located on the second floor of Western Front, which is accessed by a flight of 26 stairs. While plans for a full building upgrade to facilitate access for wheelchair users are still underway, all events in the Grand Luxe Hall are made available virtually via high-quality livestream (see link above). Further details about accessibility at Western Front can be found here.
Acknowledgements
Presented in partnership with Coastal Jazz and the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of British Columbia with support from the Government of Canada and SOCAN Foundation.
Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.
We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.