Two artists, two worlds of sound - and one common goal: to musically overcome cultural boundaries. In this special concert evening at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Sona Jobarteh and Dhafer Youssef meet two exceptional musicians who enrich jazz with tradition, innovation and boundless joy of playing. Look forward to an impressive interplay of African, Arabic and Western influences - beyond all conventions.
Divergent musical traditions come together effortlessly in jazz. Two musical bridges await the audience on this jazz evening in the broadest sense. Firstly, there is the musician and composer Sona Jobarteh from Gambia. Her instrument, the kora, is traditionally played by men. Sona Jobarteh has broken this old rule and is a master on this harp instrument with 21 strings. In her compositions, she combines the influences of modern music with traditional African music and thus remains connected to the roots of her homeland. The second part of the evening will be performed by Dhafer Youssef, who is also a wanderer between cultures.
Born in Tunisia, he is currently shaking up the world music and jazz scene. On the short-necked lute oud and in his singing, he spans the spectrum from Arabic influences to Indian traditions and US jazz to European forms of jazz and is also open to electronic sounds.
October 21, 2025
