She joined SOAS University of London in 1993, and is Professor of Music with special reference to Africa and Cuba, in the School of Arts.
Other artists she has produced include singer-songwriter Manecas Costa from Guinea Bissau: Paraiso di Gumbe, and the 2017 collaboration between the Malian group Trio Da Kali with the Kronos Quartet.
The album Ladilikan which she co-produced with Nick Gold and David Harrington, released on World Circuit Records, received international critical acclaim and many awards.
From 2009–2012 she was the director of a film-based project funded by a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, entitled Growing into Music.
She was advisor to Roots (the remake of the TV series for the History Channel and BBC 4) on Mandinka language, culture and music, also creating several original compositions for the early sequences of the series including the "Slave Rebellion" song on board the slave ship, and the "Mandinka Ringshout".