Award-winning kora player and singer-songwriter Sophie Lukacs brings the West African kora to Motel Chelsea. Drawing from seven years of study in Bamako with Malian kora masters including Toumani Diabaté, Lukacs weaves together Mandingue traditions, Hungarian folk songs, and contemporary songwriting in 4 languages. Expect an evening of intimate storytelling from one of Canada's most distinctive voices in global music. She is joined by percussionist Noel Mpiaza and bassist Laszlo Koos.

Sophie Lukacs is a Montreal-based singer-songwriter and one of the few women, and non-West African kora players, performing internationally. After discovering the 21-string instrument during travels in Burkina Faso, she spent seven years in Mali studying with legendary master Toumani Diabaté, immersing herself in the Mandingue musical tradition and the Bambara language. Her debut album Bamako won Global Roots Album of the Year at the 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Born in Budapest and raised in Canada, Lukacs sings in English, French, Hungarian, and Bambara, blending West African musical traditions with contemporary songwriting and Hungarian folk influences. She has performed at festivals and venues across North America, West Africa, and Europe, and is currently preparing her second album, Reverie, for release in early 2026.