By Ibrahim S. Bangura and Abdul Mansaray
The Ballanta Academy of Music and Performing Arts has on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at their Logie Wright Auditorium in Freetown unveiled ‘Remembering Our Legends’ project to recognize and honour past and present legends of the arts industry in Sierra Leone.
The project, which was undertaken by the Academy and sponsored by the African Caribbean Pacific Parliament Arts and the European Union (ACP-EU) Cultural Fund for West Africa, was also aimed at preparing present generation to become the future legends, and promoting Sierra Leonean culture and heritage by giving it the dignity it deserves.
The project will eventually establish Halls of Fame in a couple of prominent places, produce books and videos about the legends, and sensitise the whole nation about the value of its arts.
During the event, some of the late female legends in the arts industry of Sierra Leone, including Fatima Haffner aka Fatie Haffner, co-founder, Proprietress, Actress, Dancer, Choreographer of Freetong Players and Tangains Festival in Sierra Leone, who lived from 1955 to 2012; Miranda Olayinka Burney-Nicol, a professional storyteller of African tales, singer and dancer, who lived from 1927 to 1996, and Isata Nyambe, a famous Sierra Leone’s musician who also lived from 1933 to 1994 were all celebrated. There was a short performance on the shegureh by Esther Kpange.
According to Jaiah Kemokai, the project coordinator, “the project is to equip the present and the future generations with a mindset that will enable them to see the performing and creative arts as viable paths to full and part-time careers”.
“To make this project successful and achieve its vision, we intend to organize lectures, workshops, establish online and visual communications, collaborate with musicians, artists, schools, tertiary education, etc.”
Officially launching the project, Dr. Julius Spencer, the chairman of the academy said that he was very pleased to see a large number of young people at the event.
He said the project is intended to popularize the works of those who have made significant contributions to the arts in Sierra Leone. “Some of these people and their works have not been known, so this project will enable them to be known, thus motivating the present and the future generations. By this means, some of us have made a living out of the performing arts. Since arts should be a concern to this country, this project will highlight the need to motivate people with creative abilities so that they can make a living out of their creativity and therefore open up the space for the creative industry in Sierra Leone. Arts build one’s communication skills, confidence and can generate income for the individuals and for the nation. There is a need to support it.”
Monica Bobson-Kamara, a prominent woman in the arts industry, in her keynote address said that remembering would inspire the artists to keep their crafts going seriously.
She said that many women have contributed immensely to developing the arts industry of Sierra Leone despite challenges. “Despite the challenges some of the women used to encounter, there are a lot of successful stories today. Those women consciously stepped out of their comfort zones, paid attention to their works, managed their time, ignored all the challenges and took the venture into the creative world. We are celebrating many of them today,” she concluded.
In her concluding remarks, Dr. Kitty Fadlu-Deen, the project supervisor, asked her audience to advocate for the arts, to fall in love with and be proud of their heritage, and to join hands with the team, to make this project a success.
She asked them to put the musicians and film actors of Nigeria, America and others to second place, and champion the works of indigenous Sierra Leoneans. “This is the legacy the project wants to leave behind for them to carry on. ‘Sierra Leonean arts matter’,” she reiterated.