Sophie Lukacs

*“...a splendid debut album. Her playing is rich and lyrical, combining empathy with virtuosity while her melodic compositions combine Mande tradition with a modern pop sensibility.”* — Nigel Williamson, SONGLINES
*“Bamako* may be Sophie’s debut album, but it’s the kind of record many more established artists could only dream of releasing. The song-craft, the lyricism, the virtuosity, the variety, the beauty of the vocals – every aspect is exquisite.” – rootsmusic.ca
Budapest-born, Montreal-based artist Sophie Lukacs performs on the 21-string West African kora, weaving together original and Mandingue songs in four languages—English, French, Hungarian, and Bambara. After a seven-year pilgrimage to Mali studying with legends such as Toumani Diabaté and collaborating with Habib Koité, her debut album "Bamako" earned Global Roots Album of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Sophie has toured across Canada, the United States, and West Africa, captivating audiences at festivals from Nuits d'Afrique to Saint-Louis Jazz Festival.

Video

Dakar Studio Session

Festival Nuits d’Afrique (Montreal, Canada)

Saint-Louis Jazz Festival (Senegal)

Biography

Few artists weave tradition and innovation like Sophie Lukacs, blending the 21-string West African kora with a singer-songwriter's heart and a voice fluent in four languages. Budapest-born, Montreal-based, Sophie's journey began with classical violin and Hungarian folk songs learned from her grandmother Eva Fahidi, a Holocaust survivor whose resilience and artistry shaped Sophie's understanding of music's healing power. But it was a chance encounter in Burkina Faso during university that changed everything: her first taste of West African kora music captivated her with an intensity she couldn't shake.

The kora is traditionally passed down through male djeli (griot) families, a revered lineage she hesitated to approach as an outsider and woman. Then fate intervened: on a New York subway platform at Columbus Circle, she heard the unmistakable voice of a kora. Following the sound led her to kora master Malang Jobarteh—the sign she'd been waiting for. She then traveled to Mali where she would live for seven years, studying with legends Toumani Diabaté and collaborating with Habib Koité. Her debut album "Bamako" (2023) captures this musical journey, earning Global Roots Album of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

On stage, Sophie sings in all the languages she speaks—English, French, Hungarian, and Bambara—performing solo or with a full band. As an educator, she has led kora workshops at Carleton College, Université de Montréal, Lycée Français Los Angeles, and numerous festivals, sharing the tradition with new audiences. With a 2026 album release and tours across Europe, Africa, and North America on the horizon, Sophie Lukacs continues to prove that music has no borders, only bridges waiting to be built.