Navigating Grief and Cultural Identity

Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason on what it takes to keep up with her seven children — all of them gifted classical musicians (R).

Kadiatu is a former English academic and the mother of seven extraordinary children.

All of them are gifted classical musicians.

Her eldest daughter, Isata wrote and performed her first piano concerto at the age of eleven.

Her son Sheku mastered the cello and performed at the royal wedding of Harry and Megan Markle.

Every day the seven Kanneh-Masons, who range from early teens to the mid-twenties, fill the family home with glorious, sometimes chaotic, music.

This episode of Conversations explores music education, classical music, accessibility to music, Isata, Braimah, Sheku, Konya, Jeneba, Aminata, Mariatu, piano, violin, cello, orchestra, state school, public education, big families, motherhood, fatherhood, prejudice, mixed race families, music is for everyone, how to learn the violin, gifted children, raising gifted children, gifted and talented.

Further information

House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons is published by Oneworld.

Kadiatu's newest book, also published by Oneworld, is called To Be Young Gifted And Black.