SISTAS WITH VOICES | THE PRACTICE

 

 

 

The longer i am back home the more I am 'getting it'. My heart is steadying itself, digging deep, planting self and re-orienting my purpose and vision in the world of the arts. It is only recently that accepting and proudly understanding myself as a story teller with responsibility and accountability to the community and my fellow artists has become an imperative journey for me. I am respecting the responsibility and beauty that comes with this and in the process, asking my fellow sisters and brothers who themselves are openly, clearly, and very beautifully bold to come together to “just do it”. Just do it meaning, sharing with the rest of the world the talent, gift and stories that exist at the very core of Sierra Leonean society. We aren’t just those people that sing, dance, paint or organize shows; we aren’t just at the periphery of society’s consciousness, but very much between and amongst.   I recently asked the women of SISTAS WITH VOICES “what does music mean to you and why are you doing this”. Fantacee who sings in Karanko, a tribe from the beautiful Kabla, replies “i do this Fatou because music is me and i am music, it comes from me and therefore i am it, it’s that simple”. It indeed is that simple, and as we practiced for the show that took place last night at Bliss, the simplicity of being and of expression manifested, it can no longer be ignored, these women, we artists, are cultural preservationists. This is the only way we will remember our past, from where we have come, Dafni Pratt the renowned poet and writer graced us last night, to where we are now and where we will need to be. In the words of Ben Okri, it is time for new dreams, and in the case of Sierra Leone, it’s time to highlight the bright colourful dreams that dance tirelessly every moment, often occurring unnoticed. It is time to resesisstate:  pulse alive, spirit ablaze, we must reflect ourselves back to ourselves. It is the only way to never forget that SALONE NA WE YONE.

 

These are your SISTAS WITH VOICES at practice:
Photo Credit: Anusa Pisanec

ESTHER SISAY

LEO THE LIONESS

ESTHER MICHAELS | GOSPEL SINGER

WINIFRED JOHNSON| COMPOSER OF 'DOVES WITH WINGS'