Sona Jobarteh
The Gambia Academy
Musician, composer, educator, activist
| Preserving her musical past, Sona Jobarteh innovates to support a more humanitarian future. As a living archive of the Gambian people through the West African Griot Tradition, she commands global stages—from the Hollywood Bowl to London’s Barbican— with over 23 million YouTube views. Trained at London’s Royal College of Music and Purcell School, she has scored films including the 2022 Hollywood blockbuster Beast starring Idris Elba, and collaborated with LL Cool J. Sona’s dedication to spreading powerful humanitarian messages through her songs and her stage performances makes her much more than a musician; she is active in social change and leads by her own example. Sona single handedly set up The Gambia Academy, a pioneering institution dedicated to achieving educational reform across the continent of Africa. This Academy is the first of its kind to deliver a mainstream academic curriculum at a high level, whilst also bringing the culture, traditions and history that belong to its students, to the front and centre of their everyday education. These efforts have gained her invitations to deliver speeches at high profile events around the world – including summits for the UN, the World Trade Organization and UNICEF. |