WOMAD

Pa Bobo Jobarteh and Kaira Trio

From Gambia

The light and evocative tone of the 21-stringed kora is one of the key sounds of West African music (Mali, Senegal and Gambia), whether used in its traditional setting or within a more modern song structure. Guinea's Mory Kanté was one of the first kora masters to become famous in Europe and Britain, and he now uses the instrument, backed by tough Western dance beats - as do the Afro Celt Sound System. The Gambia is a hotbed of kora talent - this small country has produced most of the instrument's leading players over the past 30 years. Their style tends to be more percussive, and some musicians add extra strings, bringing the total up to 25, to produce a bassier sound. Pa "Bobo" Jobarteh is equally at home with both modern and traditional styles and although this master player seems to have been on the scene for many years now, he is, in fact, still only 22, having made his first UK appearance at the age of 12. He was born in Brikama, a town in the Gambia, in 1975. He comes from a long line of musicians, with both his grandfather and his father, Malamini Jobarteh, being acknowledged masters of the instrument. Pa was apprenticed to a "griot" (a traditional musician, oral historian and storyteller) so he has been steeped in music and the Senegambian culture from an early age. Since his first UK tour in 1987, Pa Jobarteh has learned other instruments, including the balafon (which is like a xylophone) and djembe drums. He has also formed his own kora-based band, called Pa Bobo Kaira. The music he is currently writing for the band will, he promises, take the instrument to new heights. His group currently includes Dawda Jobarteh on percussion and Haruna Jassy on balafon. While in the UK this summer, Pa will also be leading workshops in schools and colleges.