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00:00 21 metal strings plucked like a harp and Sona Djibouti's deep voice leaving this crowd speechless.
00:09 A most unusual sight, the kora, this ancestral West African instrument, in the hands of a
00:14 woman.
00:21 Born into a family of Gambian griots, widely respected musical storytellers who pass on
00:25 West African traditions, she's the first female professional player on the international stage.
00:31 The process of getting to learn the kora was different for me than it was for male members
00:37 of the family because kora is an instrument that you usually learn in like, it's a very
00:42 social instrument so you learn it in your community. So it became a very private journey
00:47 for me.
00:48 Her perseverance paid off with an international success, working with famous artists and a
00:53 hit record Gambia that reached almost 30 million views globally on social media.
01:05 To democratise the kora, she set up the Gambia Academy in 2015.
01:10 Something very special is happening when I'm witnessing these classes going on that wow,
01:14 this is the change that we are starting to see.
01:19 Jobarte handpicked dozens of children for the musical ability, including young girls
01:23 who hope to keep the tradition alive.
01:27 She inspires me because she really demystified this instrument which was once reserved for
01:31 men and today she was able to show that there is a woman who can excel at this instrument.
01:36 With this academy, Jobarte hopes to bring culture, tradition and music into general
01:41 education in the Gambia, where the literacy rate sits just below 70%.