Grandson and son, respectively, of the legendary Gambian kora players Alhaji Bai Konte (who helped to bring kora music to the wider world with his iconic album Kora Melodies From the Republic of the Gambia, West Africa in 1973) and Dembo Konte, London-based Jali Bakary is the latest torchbearer for his family’s kora legacy on the world stage. Like his father and grandfather before him, Jali Bakary brings his own personal touch and innovations to traditional songs with unique melodic and rhythmic arrangements. A hugely versatile musician, he regularly performs solo, in a duo and trio, as well as with his own band, Minyanta. (He is also in the 13- piece collective Balimaya Project who fuse West-African folk music and jazz.) Jali Bakary will soon be releasing his 2nd solo album.

He has performed extensively throughout West and North Africa, as well as in the UK and the rest of Europe (WOMAD, Roskilde Festival, The Barbican).

He is joined by Sarah Deere Jones, a classically trained harpist with a huge variety of musical experience and interests. Sarah started her professional life after leaving the Royal Academy of music, and played with orchestras such as the BBC symphony, Ulster orchestra as well as theatre orchestras such as Ballet Rambert, Bolshoi ballet and the English music theatre orchestra at the Aldeburgh festival. Whilst still performing on concert harp, she has in recent years been concentrating on traditional music, playing Celtic, English and her own compositions for gut strung and wire strung Celtic harps.