Just when i was about to give up on Sierra Leone music and boom! I stumbled upon a video on Facebook that just restored my faith in Sierra Leone music. My people there is hope.
Yes my faith has been restored. On this lazy day, right under my duvet on a cold winter’s day my faith was restored and I hope it’s not the last I hear from her.
The song which inspired this blog post is called Boss/ Koro koro which was produced by the record label Diamonds from Sierra Leone (DSL) and beautifully sung by Esther Sesay featuring the creative Alieu Bio who is better known by his stage name G Money The Royal Emp’.
We all know what boss means but Koro koro in our local means not afraid of anything or strong. It could mean seen with a clear vision in a way you can’t deny. I stand corrected but I think the meaning differs depending on the context in which it’s been used. However the song is about women’s empowerment, women’s independency and women being in charge. I love the whole concept of the song maybe that is why I am so drawn towards it.
Now wait till I tell you all about this talented chick. She attended the Limount College, graduated 2 years ago and came out with the second best O’level results. She didn't just stop there, she went on to pursue a career in accountancy and she is currently enrolled in ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). In the words of the CEO of DSL Mr Alie Forna, she is brains too and i can't help but agree. Esther is all beauty,talent and brains.
 |
| Esther Fatima Sesay - Beauty, Talent & Brains |
Do you feel inspired already? I do because she didn't allow music to stand in the way of her career pursuit. She does have her wits about her and for that I say Bravo and keep it up.
Once the fame gets into your head and the fortune starts greeting your pockets, people get easily distracted. We see it every day, artists release few songs and by the time you know it they've forgotten about all their other pursuits and the fame and fortune just overshadows everything else. Few years down the line they are back to square one where they started. If you take a close look at some of the successful musicians that we listen to, they’re all doing bits on the side, they don’t just sing. Example of such would be Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
I listened the song once and I pressed replay….the second time I was humming and by the 3rd replay I thought I was Esther for a minute. That’s how I knew I just stumbled upon a rare thing….good solid Sierra Leone Music.
Not forgetting due credits to G Money…his raucous voice just added that extra chilli and maggi seasoning to the song which just gave it that extra humph and left me yearning for more (Yes we are still talking about music....hold tight) hehe
More importantly I watched the video and I saw zero nudity, heard zero vulgar language and saw no wanna be gangster or wanna be pop star….Just raw talent. It is a decent video which I can comfortably give to a ten year old to watch to. Do you know how hard it is to find a PG13 music video these days?
Even the rapper was well dressed which i admired; no boxer on show, no grills... (I hate that piece of metal) or baggy trousers running down towards his ankle or bling-bling to blind me. African music videos that conform to the American lifestyle irk my soul. This video was refreshing and as I am penning this down it has been on a non-stop repeat. (I think I need to stop)
While I am at it I might as well highlight my favourite part of the video which was at the beginning when Esther was entering the board room with fellow colleagues all suited and booted. I absolutely loved that scene. It was a mile better to watch than the usual booty shaking that normally greets me when i first click on music videos.
I must applaud the production team Diamonds From Sierra Leone (DSL), including Nick Asgill who directed the video for such refreshing 4 minutes of my life.
This is an exemplary video which I think (well i hope) has set the pace for other artists…nudity and vulgarity is not the way forward. You might come across hard at first but when all that is stripped away people are going to need to see the real talent and there would be none. Nowadays it’s like everyone is sworn by nudity. I know they say sex sells but don’t be fooled it does have an expiry date.
I used to love Sierra Leone music and I still do but over the years I have slowly grown out of it. Maybe I just grew up or maybe I am getting old but I don’t think there’s enough competition to fire up the creative side amongst the artists or maybe the focus is on the wrong agenda. I believe your music must inspire, motivate and revive. When I listen to a song, by the end of that 3 minutes or more I shouldn't feel the same way I was feeling when i started listening to the song in the first place. I must feel revived, motivated or inspired. If your music is not doing any one of the following then I think you have failed as an artist.
I want to abuse the replay button when I listen to your songs Sierra Leone Musicians…so for the love of music please step up! Think outside the box and while you are at it, think of your listeners for we are your audience. We are in Africa and we are Africans for crying out loud, when you write your songs look around you and be inspired, stop singing about girls, money, fame and power. The American artists give us enough of that, when we come home we want to feel like we're home. If you shadow your focus with the unimportant things what are you passing on to your listeners? Think about it.
Having said that, I wish Esther all the very best in her future endeavours and truly hopes she continues towards the direction of her dreams. I would be looking forward to more masterpiece production from DSL and the team.
Mama taught me to say thank you. Therefore i must acknowledge Mr Melvic Greene as this blog wouldn't have been possible without his help. He is slowly becoming my go-to guy and never gets tired of my disturbing texts regardless of the time of the day. I appreciate your tolerance and time.
I would also like to thank the CEO of DSL, Mr Alie Forna who took time out to satisfy my curiosity by answering my 1,001 questions. I appreciate your time.
Esther forgive me for stealing your picture off Facebook. :)
Disclaimer:
I do not know the artist Esther Sesay and this is not a favouritism post. If I see a talent worth appreciating I waste no time in doing so. As they say,give credits where one is due. This is solely based on my personal taste and judgement on the music industry in Sierra Leone.
