April 24, 2008-

Sweet Salone, Introduces Other World of Reggae and Hip-Hop

Sierra Leone, West Africa, is a country whose history is deeply rooted among the histories of America and the Caribbean. The Reggae and even Calypso vibe fromJamaica and the islands can be heard in the new music coming out of Sierra Leone. So can the distant birth of Hip Hop be heard in this small country on the west coast ofAfrica. Sierra Leone is a place often mentioned along with poverty and war but the new film, Sweet Salone, may change many people’s perceptions of the country.  

At the bottom of the international human development and poverty charts, Sierra Leone is rebounding into the modern world after surviving a ten year long war. The American films Blood Diamonds, and Tears Of the Sun graphically illustrate the terror that the country has experienced for so long. Unfortunately those films did little to change the realities in a country where ten dollars could feed you for a week. Neither film was filmed in Sierra Leone, despite being obvious representations of the same conflict. The songDiamonds from Sierra Leone, by Kanye West, also drew attention to the largely ignored violence and turmoil in Sierra Leone and West Africa. Documentary filmmaker Sieh “C-ya” Samura has recently put together the most comprehensive look at the blossoming generation of music artists to come out of the country. The names in this film are soon to become household names, as audiences witness the raw talent and exuberance of these young artists.

Sierra Leone is a rare place that has a musical undercurrent to everything about it. Reggae, Hip Hop, Zouk, and R&B, pour from the streets of the capitol city of Freetown, and give life and optimism to this post war generation. Sierra Leones Refugee All Stars are the most recent of the country’s artists to gain notice throughout the world. Sweet Salone introduces an entirely new roster of younger, and hungrier, musicians. From the popular superstars of the country to the struggling underground rap act on the street,Sweet Salone shows a not so distant place filled with rhythm and genuine heart. Audiences have never seen this type of Africa, an urban Africa, overcoming tremendous obstacles daily, in its long recovery. Filmed and produced on a tiny budget by an international family of Samuras, Sweet Salone is also a very gritty and personal trip through parts of a country that tourists and news cameras don’t visit.