‘We are puppets in our country’ – Kabaka laments on nightclubs rejecting Salone music in Freetown.

Freetown | 25th November 2020 | Vertex Media

Prominent music promoter and CEO of the Kabaka Multimedia & Entertainment (KME), Lawyer Abu Bakarr Turay popularly known as Kabaka has become the latest person to express his disappointment over the disrespect and neglect of Salone as he stunned social media with protests over nightclubs in Freetown promoting foreign music over Sierra Leonean music.

Following his recent visit to Starlet Nightclub, one of the popular nightclubs in Freetown, the CEO was left in disbelief and disappointment over the ‘total rejection’ of ‘Salone Music’ during his stay. According to Kabaka the DJs are mandated by the owners play foreign music, and there’s nothing they can do about it.

This came after many Sierra Leonean artistes have complained about nightclubs in Freetown and across the country not playing Salone music. Some say up to 90% of foreign sounds are blazing all nights long across the city.

Artists like Morris, Kao Denero and others have been running ‘Play Salone Music’ campaigns on social media in recent times. But it seems that these campaigns fell on deaf ears, which they refer to as ‘a huge setback for Salone music.’

Speaking to Vertex Media, Kabaka explains how he is saddened by the attention Sierra Leone music is not getting from the nightclubs in Sierra Leone. In several of his posts on Facebook, he describes it as ‘unfair treatment’ by these nightclubs which are mostly run by foreigners. “They come to our country and do as they feel, without paying regards to our values.” ~ Kabaka

On the phone, Kabaka explained how foreign music have continue to gain dominance over Salone music with the contribution of nightclubs and some radio stations. “And nobody is talking about it. It’s like we are puppets in our country”, he said.

According to Kabaka, from what he found out, most of the DJs are obliged to play what their management tell them to play, in this case, they play about 95% foreign music. He went further express that these nightclubs are being populated every night by Sierra Leoneans.

“It is disturbing to attend a nightclub in Freetown and feels like you are in Lagos,” he laments.

Many club DJs have argued that their customers/clients have a great appeal for afro beats so much that they cannot deprive them of those sounds. But Salone musicians believe otherwise, saying that it was the persistent attention given to afro beats by our DJs that killed our music.

The issue of nationalism and taste for local content has become a great challenge, not even in the music sector, but in every other aspect of life in the country, like movie, food, businesses and other services. In fact foreign businesses are winning contracts over the locals businesses, we no longer trust and support ourselves. Recently, fans were angered by the fact that one of our reality TV shows is busy promoting foreign music in a Sierra Leonean show.

As one of the major investors in Salone music, Kabaka feels obliged to defend the sector and agitate for its growth, as many are shying away from doing so. In his latest post, he writes –
“You want to play foreign songs? Why not? I listen to them too. But to give them dominance over our songs? To give them 90% of your airtime and leave us with 10% in our own country is simply unacceptable. Not anymore. We will speak up!”

Following this spate of disrespect for Salone music, many artistes and and fans are calling for all to ‘boycott’ the nightclubs that are not promoting Salone music, since there are no government regulations on how to promote the creative or entertainment industry in Sierra Leone.

Ibrahim Sorious Samura