Sierra Leone has a rich history of musicians who have made world popular music and are known for their classics. Here is a list of the best artists in Sierra Leone that you must check out if you want to experience some rich local music.
Seydy
Seydu was born in a musical family where his grandfather taught him about drums. Ever since then, he was interested in pursuing a career in music. He has performed with the National Dance Troupe of Sierra Leone. Seydu later moved to Nigeria and then to Spain, where he recorded several tracks with Spanish Bands. After working with various bands, he worked on his own music that has the essence of Sierra Leone Gateway of Africa.
S. E. Rogie
S. E. Rogie was a palm wine guitarist and singer who was born in Sierra Leone. He started performing in the 1940s while working as a tailor. In the 1960s, Rogie moved completely to music and could sing in four languages. In 1965, Rogie formed a band called Morningstars that became popular around the world. He even received awards from the US Congress for his work.
Geraldo Pino
Geraldo Pino is one of the popular musicians in Africa known for his contributions during the 60s and 70s. He was a guitarist, singer, and bandleader from Sierra Leone. Geraldo created soul and funk music while he was also quite popular for Afrobeats. He left a huge impression on the upcoming generation of musicians and became an inspiration for those who wanted to invest in their own music.
Janka Nabay
Janka Nabay was a major influence in the music industry for creating Bubu Music. It is traditionally Temne music that consists of over 20 musicians blowing pipes of different music to jam together. He first earned attention at SuperSound and soon recorded his first album in Forensic Studios during the times of the Sierra Leonean Civil War. He was of Mandingo and Temne descent that is a part of Sierra Leone’s history.
Mariama
Mariama was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and is a popular singer and songwriter. She gets her sole inspiration to write music from her gratefulness to be born and alive. Music has always been a part of Mariama’s life. She started by joining the choir and musical groups when she was in school. She found her mother’s guitar as a kid and began learning it and writing songs alongside it.
Chosan
Chosan is a hip-hop artist who was born in Sierra Leone and was raised in London. Later he moved to America, where he released his first indie album, “The Beautiful Side of Misery.” His latest album was “Diamond In The Dirt,” which gained popularity around the world. Chosan has also worked with Kanye West on the video “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” that went platinum.
