By: Mohamed Sahr mohamedsahrpro@gmail.com
Providing cross-national touristic values through music, culture exchange, food and fashion links, Honorary Consul of Sierra Leone in Jamaica Professor Rosalea Hamitta has hosted three Jamaican musicians to participate in the Telem Week, a seven days Songwriting Retreat and Performance Festival. This was told me journalists during a press conference at Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Secretariat in Freetown on Friday 10th November 2023.
Dr. Khajia Grace, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs said the Telem Week 2023 has the goal of providing a platform for uncommon musicians to meet and perform original, experimental music together through the seven days songwriting workshop in company with four local faculty artists and two faculty artists from United States and Nigeria. She mentioned that the event would be held in Tokeh Beach from 10th to 19th November 2023.
Dr. Grace furthered that the Republic of Sierra Leone opened its first Consul’s office in Jamaica earlier this year; emphasizing that with well-known academic, trade policy specialist and advocate with Professor Rosalea Hamitta serving as Honorary Consul for Sierra Leone in Jamaica.
She said on behalf of the Minister, the Ministry seeks to promote sustainable tourism for economic growth and socio-cultural empowerment in order to preserve, protect and promote cultural diversity with a view of reviving and strengthening national consciousness, understanding and appreciating a cultural heritage and artistic creativity, as well as enhancing its contribution to poverty reduction and overall development. “Under the leadership of the Honourable Minister Nabeela Tunis, the Ministry seeks to transform Sierra Leone tourism,” Dr. Grace mentioned.
Professor Rosalea Hamitta, Honorary Consul for Sierra Leone in Jamaica said the launching of the Honorary Consul for Sierra Leone in Jamaica was moved along with an explicit objective to foster trade, investment and development. Professor Hamitta added that Sierra Leonean Diaspora artists and DJs have made an overwhelming contribution in raising the flag high. “This is just the beginning to walk on this opportunity of bringing artists from Jamaica to share their rich culture in Sierra Leone, ” Madam Grace expressed.
She revealed that Sierra Leone and Jamaica relation hope to recreate the historical experience of Maroons leaving Jamaica to Nova Scotia, Canada and back to Sierra Leone. Professor Hamitta urged Sierra Leonean creative artists and musicians to make their impacts felt especially women in the art and music sectors.
Amongst the arrival artists to make their debuts in Sierra Leone is Rice G, a multi-hypened cultural practitioner to serve as catalyst for liberation throughout the Diaspora using fellowship, technology, education and the arts.
King Calie is a reigning star of Magnum’s 2022 Top Premium charts in Jamaica. He is a dancehall artist with a unique fusion of musical genre and unparalleled artistic visio.
Alongside King Cole is Eric Heveron Smith. He has got 16 years playing trombone, tuba, or upright bass with virtually every band on the vintage swing dance scene, and recently, the YouTube supergroup Postmodern Judebox, all over North America. His versality as a musician goes beyond his roster of instructions. He has opened for B.B King and Tower of Power with an Americana band.