Irie Greetings...
1.1.2012
I wish you all a happy and healthy new year. Thank you so much for your support! From the 10th of January until the end of February, I will be in the Gambia, playing at festivals and continuing to build my house. Bless!
New! A little video with our cover of Burning Spear's "Ballroom Floor": now with dubstyle!
6.12.2011
Christmas Special: Free shipping on all CDs!
Taling-Taling is now available for download on Amazon.com
3.12.2011
Press Interview in Bucaramanga, Columbia.
23.10.2011
Hola my Friends,
I'm back from my tour in Columbia. It was wonderful! The "Abrapalabra Festival" was probably the best festival I've ever played at. The storytelling festival of 5 continents! 30 storytellers from all over the world! Needless to say, in Latin America, storytelling festivals are major events.
It started with a huge Karneval-parade in Bugaramanga (population: 1.2 Million) through the streets of the city, ending at a beautiful Park where the Festival was held. The top shows were in the "Teatro CORFESCU", a beautiful theater with 1000 seats; seats that were always sold out.
The opening... 5 Hours of history and music. The audience was amazing! They were always right with us. The storytellers were all incredible at their art; they could all sing and dance, and most of them could play instruments as well.
My other gigs were all in a University (and they were always packed!). All of the campuses had a beautiful theater, and everyone spoke good english. Not so much on the street, though. In the theater, I had the good fortune to meet Boniface Ofogo, an icon of the invited storytellers from Cameroon, who translated my stories from english to spanish. I met a lot of new friends in Columbia; the storytellers became like a family to me very quickly! Around 100 people dealt with all the logistics, and they did it really, really well. Columbia is nothing like the image you get of it in the media; the people there are very open, loving, and full of heart.
The grand finale was the National Ballet of Columbia; they did latin dance in beautiful costumes, and the live band, directed by Nico Djembe, was AMAZING. 50 dancers and the band, and we were in the front row in the Placa Civica with 10,000 people!
We were all bid farewell with titles. The people there all had so much love and respect for me that the 30 hours back to Munich wasn't too bad. In Columbia, I was really exotic, and everyone loved the Cora... Every two minutes, someone wanted a photo with me, and that for 14 days! Now I'm back in normal life, and I'm working with the band on new songs. Starting on 10.1.2012, I'll be back home in my house in the Gambia. Check out the videos from my gig in Columbia and the farewells in the Placa Civica.
Thanks again for your support! Greetings and Blessings for You!
-Tormenta Jobarteh
25.09.2011
Im invited to go to the Columbia Major Storytelling Festival in Bugaramanga...Im happy to play there...http://www.abrapalabra.com.co/
Greetings and thanks for your Support!
25.05.2011
Dear Jobarteh Kunda Friends
Have you ever wanted to see us in TV?
9.02.2011
Dear Jobarteh Kunda Friends
I'm back from an eventful trip to the Gambia. I played concerts with the Mandelas from South Africa. Various radio shows and the Daily Observer (Gambia's biggest newspaper) reported over Jobarteh Kunda. I contacted them over an old friend, the artist Isha Fofana (Mama Africa) who opened the first women's museum in Gambia/Batokunku. So I went and bought property in Batokunku. All of a sudden, I was swamped with the work of building a house...A totally new experience for me!
Never say never-everything works. I nailed everything together with tools that looked like they were from the second world war...Two old men, 80 or even older, had an iron bar, an old bucket, and a little shovel, and the two of them, Kausu Jeite and Seckou Sumare, dug out 9 cubic meters of earth and created a fountain. Sweet Water. Photos of the constructions are up on the homepage! Check them out! Batokunku (Garden on the Sea) is a small village with the first windmill in the Gambia. My house is about 5 minutes away from the beach. Dembo (of Seeed fame) originally wanted to buy it, but he never showed up. Now it's mine. 
I made a video clip of the song "Dembo" from the new record "AHA!" that is up right now (check the bottom of the update!). I found a lovely young lady (14 years) for that, who I met by my gig for the Minister of Defense of Taiwan. Taiwan gave Gambia a patrol boat. Her name is Mari Jeli Joop, a Jola girl and an amazing dancer...the clip should be up soon!
I've spent the last while in the Schwabinger Hospital because the Malaria got me again. I haven't had it for 15 years, and it was pretty harsh. At least I'm not fat any more. Building a house plus malaria: super diet. Maybe I could send it in to People or Cosmo or something. But I feel better now, and can get started with the promotional actions for my new CD, "Jeliba the Storyteller". It arrived on the 10th of February at SMS Musik (Sankt-Michaelsbund Verlag) where my storytelling CDs are published. a beautiful cora CD with my teacher Basuru Jobarteh! Check out the shop!
CD-Release of "Jeliba the Storyteller" on 24.03.2011 in Castle Munich
Hinterhof-kultur.de
NOTICE!!! The Jobarteh Kunda concert in Castle Munich has been moved to the 15.4.2011!!!
Can't wait to see the fans from Munich again.
Check www.hinterhof-kultur.de, our agency.
Be Blessed. Thanks for the support!!!
Tormenta Jobarteh
9.11.2010
For the promotion of my new CD, "Jeliba der Geschichtenerzähler", I'll be touring through The Gambia and Senegal from 7.12.10 to 26.1.11. This means concerts with many different talented musicians throughout both of the countries!
The new CD hits the market in February!
...be blessed... Thank you for your Support!
Tormenta Jobarteh
16.9.2010
Dear friends of Jobarteh Kunda...
Here are some reviews from the people in the know
You can check out the full versions here.
So far: universally good reviews.
Review; 1beat
...The key instrument is of course the Kora, a - shall we say - Afrian harp, the instrument of the Griots. But that's not to neglect the Oud, Sax, Electric Guitar, and Bass which all added to an intensive and yet airy sound, which still searches for its match in the ethnic music branch.
Especially beautiful: through various singers, a constant change-up. An African feast for all friends of the black continent and a CD promising much amusement for all other open-minded friends of music.
Jo Neckermann
Folkworld
...The music on this CD sounds like the South African Johnny Clegg Pate had written it. Having this CD in your closet is not enough-she belongs listened to, and that often.
One Drop African Music&Reggae
This is one of the best ethnic/world music albums in the last age coming out of europe. Absolutely fantastic, and congratulations to your nomination at the World Music Award. I'm taking your album with me next Wednesday, for the second time on my show:
ONE DROP - African Musik & Reggae
every 1st and 3rd wednesday in the month
-Karl
Rough Trade
...The 16 months of intense work put into this album are very audible. For us, "Aha!" is the best album Jobarteh Kunda has put out by far. A comparison is very hard to make though, as the lineup has changed heavily in the last years, and with it the musical direction. However, the music on "Aha!" is very fresh and contagious. A great evolution, and an amazing album.
Soultrain
...The 12 tracks of "Aha!" are so accessible and powerful as the album's title and promise a freshness that you very rarely find in world music. Truthfulness to oneself gets its own definition. It's an adventure through African and American music without losing sight of the goal - simply good and fun music. And they succeed in that.
4.5.2010
Ininbara… Friends of Jobarteh Kunda
I'm back from the Gambia and had a wonderful time.
My wife was with me for the first time, and she fell in love with the country.
My longtime friend, the artist Isha Fofana opened a wonderful museum for art in the Gambia, together with her husband Bernd Ax, a german film-maker.
The village they are living in is called Batokunku.
That's where we stayed. We organized a concert with Tata Din Din Jobarteh, Seckou Sako, and me.
It was sold out and a total success. They don't usually have things like that in Batokunku; most concerts are at the tourist centers.
Other than that... The new CD AHA! is running very successfully in the Radio. The radio station "Paradise" is broadcasting all over gambia and will spread our music across west Africa.
I also played several of my new cora pieces for the new story CD. The CD will come out next year with the company "St. Michaelsbund".
It's turning out really great and I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to get my teacher Basuru Jobarteh on the CD playing some cora pieces as well.
I hope I'll see you at some of the concerts, and am looking forwards to a beautiful summer full of festivals.
Irie Greetings..Tormenta Jobarteh
New in the schedule...
For all of you who like to dance and party...
With DJ Gerti Saxi and DJ Mori Conte...
Kaira Club!
Best of Worldmusic: Jobarteh Kunda
Sound System
FR.19.3.2010 Theater Tent “ Das Schloss“
Schwere Reiter Str.15
More dates 16.4 und 21.5
www.Ikf-kultur.de
http://www.myspace.com/kairaclubparty
BENEFIT CONCERT FOR HAITI
Jobarteh Kunda and the Freiheiz-Hall are glad to say that the concert was an overwhelming success. We managed to send 4,286 Euro to the Organization "Doctors Without Borders" and the Haiti Child Aid. I'd like to thank all musicians and all those who otherwise helped. Blessings to Everyone, Tormenta Jobarteh.
www.haitikinderhilfe.de
www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de
Del Davis, Sara Lugo backed by Murxen
and Lionel from JAMARAM, Wally and Ami Warning,
Royal Majestix, Les Babacools, Santaria and The
Porn Horns and Jobarteh Kunda played.
5.1.10
We wish you a happy new year, that you always have the wind at your back, and that the stars always shine down on you...
20.11.09
Dear friends of Jobarteh Kunda, got nothing planned for new year's eve? Come and party with us in the Schlosszelt, Schwere-Reiterstrasse. Big Africa-Party, Concert, und Aftershow Party mit Jobarteh Kunda Soundsystem (The Musicians work the turntables)!
1.11.09
The CD Release Concert in the Freheizhalle was a great success! Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. We have photos thereof; to see them, just click here (they're all there, just click the links on that page). Photos by Günter Weeren.
Also, there is a slideshow under photos. Check it out!
29.9.09
Dear friends of Jobarteh-Kunda... The time has come. Our CD-Release Concert in the 'Freiheiz-Halle' on 10.10.2009 (S-Bahn: Donnersberger Brücke-The Hall is right next to the red Backsteinturm). With an Aftershow-Party, music there from the Jobarteh Kunda Sound System. There will be guest acts from musicians, who helped out on the CD 'AHA!'. There will be, other than the Jobarteh Kunda Band of course:
