Adam Doughty

Adam Doughty is a Kora player and teacher based in both the United Kingdom and Senegal. He began playing the kora in 1991 almost 10 years after seeing Bai Konte and Malamini Jobarteh play at the Commonwealth Institute in London. Adam first transferred kora kumbengo onto the guitar, before travelling to the Gambia to study the kora under the late celebrated griot Dembo Konte and his family.

Adam runs The Kora Workshop with Kath Pickering, tutoring students of the kora and manufacturing bespoke koras for performers and learners; the only main manufacturer of bespoke British-made koras in the traditional method.^[1] His two sons Josh (who has trained under Toumani Diabaté in Bamako) and Stefan Doughty are also now skilled kora players and on occasion both teach with him. In addition his eldest daughter Jess sings and teaches traditional West African songs and plays the kora.^[2] Adam occasionally runs a kora workshop at the Womad festival with the support of other kora jalolu like Aliou Gassama.

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