Badinyaa Kumoo reveals a new depth to his songwriting and is testament to how far he has come since his debut, Fasiya, in 2011. Her first album (which means 'Paternal Heritage') delved deep into her tradition, performing many classics from the griot repertoire as well as some of her own compositions, but on Badinyaa Kumoo, translated as 'Words of Unity', she focuses on today's most relevant themes. Badinyaa, unlike Fasiya, refers to the mother figure; the close bond between brothers and sisters, used in this case to describe the wider unity of humanity. Sona uses the music on this album to address key issues and communicate the messages that are closest to her heart.

Her motto being "Do it yourself", Sona not only composed and performed Badinyaa Kumoo, she also took the reins of the album's post-production, painstakingly fine-tuning each track to match her vision. "I wanted to make sure that I could make an album that would not only represent what I do, but would live on long after me," she explains. "It's a contribution to the tradition and lineage I'm a part of." Joined by an impressive array of artists from all over the world, the album was recorded in studios, hotels, living rooms - and even via video-conferencing recording sessions during the height of the epidemic - between New York, Paris, Dakar and, of course, The Gambia.