Youth Musical Performance Center: a project of Search for Common Ground and Steady Bongo



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Youth Musical Performance Center:
A Project of Search for Common Ground and Steady Bongo

Steady Bongo and Search for Common Ground are designing a project that is geared to develop and encourage the talents and skills of young musicians. This project builds on experience that SFCG and Steady Bongo gained during solidarity events—peace carnivals and musical peace tours—where Steady Bongo was the master of ceremonies. During these solidarity events Steady Bongo auditioned young talent from the regional headquarters to play with his band during these four-day events. Building on these activities, SFCG and Steady Bongo are pursuing a longer term strategy to encourage young talent and to nurture this talent. The plan is to establish a recording studio and club in Bo as a place where young people can perform and record their music. Steady Bongo and his group will organise and coordinate the affairs of this dedicated youth structure and use the revenue to support and develop other, formal opportunities in music in Sierra Leone.



Background on Steady Bongo


Lansana Sherriff was born on the 24th day of July 1968, in Daru, Jawi Chiefdom, Kailahun district, in eastern Sierra Leone. He went to primary school in Fairo in the south along the Liberian border and Daru in the east. He then entered secondary school in Kenema at the Luke’s Commercial Secondary School, and later proceeded to the Freetown Ahmadiyya Secondary School where he obtained his Ordinary Level (O’Level) Certificate in 1990.
Getting his musical inspiration while in school he admired the songs of big stars like Alpha Blondie, Big Fayia and many others and vowed to follow their footsteps one day. When his dream was becoming reality, his school recommended him to compose a song on HIV/AIDS suitable for a competition that took place at the British Council Hall in March 1989. He represented the Ahmadiyya School with other top local musicians by then. At the end of it all, he was rated first among the lot. The following day, he took the award to school, and his principal, Mr. M.P. Bayoh commended him in front of the entire school for a job to continue paying his school fees.
In early 1990, he started visiting nightclubs with his recorded demos, which he used to mime. Fortunately, a Nigerian businessman, Fatai Lasisie met him one night at a club and listened to his demos. He noted that Lansana’s demos were good and promised to sponsor him to produce an album. He kept to his promise and Steady Bongo’s first recorded album ‘Ready Before You Married’ at the MDC Recording Studio, which was released in April, 1991. Since then several other albums have been produced to his credit including the most popular album ‘Kormot Bien Me’.


Generally, Steady produces songs in Sierra Leone’s official language (English) and other major local languages (Mende, Temne and Krio). Since 1991, he has won several awards of first position and best musician of the year from different organizations and institutions.



Awards


  1. Progress Award (1991)

  2. Kitch Production (1991)

  3. The Best Squad (1992)

  4. Madrugar Club award (1992) (Fourah Bay College)

  5. Cornel Zizo and de oval Squad (1994)

  6. Sound Explosion ‘96’

  7. Supa Bronx (F.C.Bronx) award (1995)

  8. Freetown Mini dance Festival ‘99’



Albums

Since 1991, the following albums have been produced:




  • Ready Before You Married (1991)

  • Law Operation (1992)

  • The World Dae bad Everday (1993)

  • Gimi Before or Die (1994)

  • Love is the Only Way (1995)

  • Ar nor Mix Again (1995)

  • Victory SLPP (1996)

  • Kormot Bien Me (1996)

  • Welcome to Democracy (1998)

  • Born foh Suffer (1999)

  • Ar de Make (2001)

One is currently on the way, to be released this year.


During the years of the war (1991 – 2002), Steady also produced songs and albums for NGOs, which were used for their own sensitisation programmes for lasting peace and reconciliation.





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