Freetown | 5th August 2021 | Vertex Media

‘Che Che’ may have been released over 17 years ago, but that doesn’t prevent it from breaking through and trending in this social media age. Daddy Saj’s 2004 mega hit track breaks into the TikTok space with over 1,000 videos. ‘Che Che’ is one of the original sounds people from across the world especially women and girls, are dancing, twerking and vibing to, since it was shared few weeks ago by an anonymous TikToker. Many of those girls who have now fallen in love with this track, weren’t born when it was released.

One major reason for this recent breakthrough is the uniqueness and originality of the sound. It is a well composed Sierra Leonean sound, with distinct strings of instruments that well resonated with the culture of the motherland.

Daddy Saj’s dominance in Salone music in the early 2000s cannot be overemphasized due to his attitude of holding on to original Sierra Leonean sounds and culture. He is among the few Sierra Leonean artistes who have rejected foreign sounds, and he continues to stand out among the odds.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdGLQ5X6/

The composer of the song, Joseph Cole aka Daddy Saj has reacted to it’s recent breakthrough on social.

“It is a joy to see a song that was produced 17 years ago to be trending now on social media. The reason for this is the uniqueness and originality of the sound, a pure Salone trend that will never gets old, despite the modern trends of music across Africa.”

“It should be a symbol of Salone music, because ‘Che Che’ was built from scratch, using drums and other instruments. It is disappointing to see big Sierra Leonean artistes copying foreign music and forget about their own sounds.
“They are not just using Nigerian sounds and styles, they are also using their languages, accent, cultures and traditions. Most of them prefer to use Nigerian words and culture in their songs. It is shameful and it makes them sound fake.”

“It’s time for us to create our own sound. We have Bubu, Kondi, Shegureh, gumbe, and so much classic instruments that other African countries don’t have. Why can’t out engineers start using these instruments and create a trend of music that other countries can dance to? Why do we have to imitate other sounds?”

“It took Nigeria and Jamaica some time to build their own trend of music, that is why they are now having a breakthrough.”

Daddy Saj added that – “Using a foreign sound or style will only make your song trend for a week and fade out, but when you use an original sound that resonates with your culture, it will never grow old. That’s the power of originality.”

He encourages his colleague artistes to start marketing their Sierra Leonean languages, cultures and styles in their music, rather copying foreign styles. “I’m not a Mende or a Temne but I learnt these local languages and used them in my music,” he said.

This thrilling song was produced and engineered by Mohamed Kamara aka Mo, and one of Sierra Leone’s finest instrumentalists Abdul T.J, at Mo Studios in the UK in 2004. Lyricist and composter of ‘Che Che’, Daddy Saj launched this album at the Siaka Stevens Stadium where he arrived on a helicopter and airlifted to the stage, making him the first indigenous Sierra Leone artist to host a show at the stadium.

Daddy Saj is a successful Sierra Leonean artist who has had couple of hit songs and was featured in the ‘African Compilation’ album in the early 2000s. Prominent among his hit tracks include ‘Corruption’, ‘Che Che’, ‘Congratulations’, ‘Watermelon Politics’, and more.

Meanwhile, the ‘Che Che’ is still trending like wildlife, as TikTokors continue to vibe, twerk and dance to the song from across the world. “I have never promoted it, but it is still relevant and trending.”

Ibrahim Sorious Samura

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