Fanta S. Kamara aka Fantacee Wiz, a Sierra Leonean folksinger has been awarded the most Influential woman among 49 women nominated in Sierra Leone.
She won the category of ‘Gender Activist’.
The Fifty Most Influential Sierra Leonean Women Award is an initiative of twenty-two youth and women-led organizations supported by Kids Advocacy Network to spotlight and recognize the important role women play in national development in Sierra Leone. It celebrates women and institutions that are contributing towards nation-building. The award recipients represent the most influential women in Business, Government, Law, Education, Local NGOs, Entertainment, etc.
Fantacee was nominated by the organization due to her exploits as an entertainer, public figure, philanthropist etc.
Over the years she had been recognized in the Country among the Skool Recording Artists as the only folksinger.
Fantacee started a career in music as a member of the Voice of Children on UN Radio, she also started training as a producer and program presenter on ‘Problem Page’. “Through all these programs, I then had to become a full-time performing artist with the Freetong Players International for a couple of years,” she said.
In 2011, she started her own Performing Arts group, ‘The Sierra Unit Playas’ while she was in college reading ICT at SiliconPro.
The Folksinger is an actor, dancer, designer, poet, radio presenter, Children’s Ambassador, Activist, and part-time model.
The award-winning traditional folk singer was born in Kabala and raised in Freetown where she finished high school and furthered her education to college.
According to the Awards Committee, out 1,011 nominations they received from the public, 100 women shortlisted, adding that after a long voting process, 50 emerged as winners. They included: Fantacee Wiz, Gender Activist, Fatmata Clara Carlton Hancils, Executive Director Legal Aid Board, Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Olga Maria Moigbe,Philanthropist, P C Wokie Jonjo Massaquoi Paramount Chief Gallinese Chiefdom, Pujehun District, Hon. Manty Tarawallie- Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Zainab Sheriff- Entrepreneur and Musician, Justice Manuella Harding- Justice High Court of Sierra Leone, Ellen Keister- CEO Reems Entertainment etc.
The Committee congratulated all the winners and urged them to continue their good work in Sierra Leone.
“However, due to the Ramadan Month, the Grand Awards Ceremony is now scheduled for May 5, 2022 at the Bintumani Conference Centre at 5:30 PM,” the committee concluded.
By Ibrahim S. Bangura