ABSTRACT: 01:43 Jobarteh explains that she was born to the kora, it being a big part of her family. It was in her hands before she had a professional thought, but after experimenting with many instruments and styles she found that the kora was most in tune with her and the music she wanted to make. 02:48 Jobarteh clarifies that though she grew up in London, her only family there was her mother and brother, the vast majority of her family ties being in Gambia. 03:35 Jobarteh says she believes she is impacting the kora tradition, as one of the rare women who plays the instrument. She has a school the trains not only women but people outside of griot families. She explains that she believes in tradition, but also its necessity to evolve to keep up with society. 05:01 Demonstration, “Canou” 12:39 Jobarteh explains the history of griots, a social role that developed during the empire-building of the thirteenth century. They are keepers of oral history and musical traditions, and crucial for the major ceremonies, those being christenings, marriages, and funerals. 15:33 Jobarteh speaks to the fluid connection between Mali and Gambia, telling how people often ask her whether her songs are Malian or Gambian. She practices both styles, due to her family having migrated from Mali just two generations ago. She also points out that the borders, indeed countries, didn’t exist in the time the griot traditions developed, under the Mandinkas, but rather are colonial structures. 17:44 Jobarteh talks about ‘fasiya,’ the name and concept behind her latest album, which has to do with intergenerational dynamics, challenging your forebearers so that you can advance them. She explains that having audiences ignorant of tradition presents new challenges, and she’s dedicated herself to finding new ways to present the traditional music, so that audiences from anywhere can enjoy and feel it. 21:33 Jobarteh explains that her school is filling a hole left by all the masters musicians who have left Gambia in pursuit of musical careers, leaving a gap in the passing down of traditional knowledge. Seeing change bringing holes within families, she decided to fill them by taking traditional family knowledge into a more formal context. She emphasizes that hers is a full-time school, specializing in music but providing all subjects, populated by children from all over she handpicked for their musical talent, so that they get the full dedication. The children feel proud and empowered by learning and playing traditional music, which she sees as key, and another instance of the tradition evolving and re-asserting itself. 26:03 Jobarteh attributes her ability to have made a career on kora to the modern development of stages, and along with them spectators and audience, separating music somewhat from the culture in which it was previously engrained. Acknowledging the transition from traditional to performance as a difficult one, she believes it’s facilitated many careers. 29:15 Demonstration, “Saiya” 34:07 Jobarteh speaks to the pervasion of outside influence, and how disturbing it is to see Mandaean language co-opted into the hip-hop youngsters are so fond of; however, she expresses hope that presences like Sidiki will help re-steer the modern impulse toward something more of their own, rather than something outside coming in – this she believes to have potential as another beautiful example of tradition re-inventing itself. 36:54 Jobarteh reveals that she is also working on the first cultural academy in the country. 39:08 Demonstration, “Saira”