Sallay Matu Garnett, who makes music as Loah, grew up in Ireland playing fiddle and orchestral violin. When she was 12 years old, her family moved to Gambia where she became immersed in polyrhythmic drumming and dance, and then to Sierra Leone where she started writing little bits of songs on piano. Loah’s voice is stunning and so is the music she makes, which she refers to as ArtSoul. In this session, Sallay shares stories from her worldly upbringing, and from her winding career path as an adult: She worked as a pharmacist before making the leap to become a musician and describes the very urgent need she felt to change course and create. She also explains how co-writing the song “Someone New” which appeared on Hozier’s debut album helped her find the courage to make the leap. We met up with Loah for a chat and a performance at the iconic Windmill Lane Recording Studios in Dublin as part of our World Cafe Sense of Place Series.