Vocalist

Accordionist

Experience an enchanting evening at the Griot Creole Rendezvous, featuring the extraordinary talents of Sona Jobarteh and Cedric Watson. Sona Jobarteh, a celebrated figure in the West African Griot tradition, brings a rich tapestry of Gambian heritage to life through her captivating voice and mastery of the Kora. With over 23 million YouTube views and performances at prestigious venues like the Hollywood Bowl and London's Barbican, Sona's music is a living archive of the Gambian people, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide.

Joining her is Cedric Watson, a dynamic force in the realm of Louisiana Creole music. As a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist, and songwriter, Watson leads Bijou Creole in weaving together ancient French and Spanish rhythms with the spiritual beats of the Congo tribes of West Africa. His Grammy-nominated albums and compelling stage presence showcase a diverse musical heritage, channeling soulful vocals and masterful instrumentation that breathe new life into Creole traditions.

This event is part of the University of Chicago's Music Without Borders and BluesLogan series, supported by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. It promises a unique fusion of West African and Creole musical traditions, offering a profound and immersive cultural experience.

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Griot Creole Rendezvous: An evening with Sona Jobarteh and Cedric Watson

Logan Center

Spearheading the emerging generation of Cajun and Creole musicians, Cedric Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of enormous talent and potential. With an apparently bottomless repertoire of songs at his fingertips, Watson plays everything from forgotten Creole melodies to more modern Cajun and Zydeco songs, even occasionally throwing in a bluegrass fiddle tune or an old string band number. 

Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole resurrect the ancient sounds of the French and Spanish contra dance and bourré alongside the spiritual rhythms of the Congo tribes of West Africa, who were sold as slaves in the Caribbean and Louisiana by the French and Spanish. Moving with ease between fiddle and accordion, and adding his strong blues-inflected vocals, Watson’s albums are a tapestry of pulsing rhythms and Creole poetry, and his live performances are unforgettable, at once progressive and nostalgic.

Vocalist, Accordionist

Cedric Watson

Events

Past events

Mar 29, 2025

Griot Creole Rendezvous: An evening with Sona Jobarteh and Cedric Watson · UChicago Presents

Feb 2, 2023

Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole · Art Power at UC San Diego

About

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