Vitabu Books

The harrowing events of May 25, 1997 in Freetown, Sierra Leone fell far short of the lofty ideals of 25 May 1963, when the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded.

More than 30 years earlier, the OAU had been set up to support the work conducted by freedom fighters, and improve living standards across member states. At the ‘63 meeting in Addis Ababa, Africa Freedom Day was renamed Africa Liberation Day.

According to records, the renamed celebration of Africa Day continued to be celebrated on May 25 in respect to the formation of the OAU. Haile Selassie reportedly exclaimed, "May this convention of union last 1,000 years."

By May 1997, the union was just over 30 years old.

That was the day Bailah Leigh’s life took an ominous turn. The German-trained obstetrician and gynecologist, who’d returned to his native Sierra Leone in 1978, was midway through his career when Sierra Leone was upended by yet another military coup.

Coup d’états had been a part of Sierra Leonean li…

On May 6, Akibo triumphed. And that song, the one about Akibo, became an instant hit and would forever remain part of the legacy of a community.

APC Central One, 
Na Akibo we want oh
Ah say APC Central One, 
Akibo we want oh
Ah May 6 oh, Akibo win election
For go na palimehnt 
For woke for di nation
Ah Nancy Oh, e lef pan you oh
Akibo Betts! 
Na man way we want oh
For we minister

Nineteen seventy-seven was a turning point in Salone (Sierra Leonean) history. It was one of the most intense campaign-elections in Freetown. [With] the Fourah Bay College (FBC) Student protest during Convocation, January 29, 1977; an attack by All People’s Congress (APC) party supporters at the Mount Auroel campus, January 31, 1977; premature dissolution of parliament, April 4, 1977; and a hurriedly held election on May 6.

It was the year of the "un-opposed" but in Freetown Central One the election was anything but 'APC un-opposed.'

The stage was set not (just) between the two major parties, Sierra Leo…

Milo and All That Jazz is the most recent work of Dr. Kitty Fadlu-Deen, published by Sondiata Global Media.

The book takes the reader on a journey through Sierra Leonean culture expressed in her distinctive music.

Milo and All That Jazz explores the history and creative breadth and depth of Sierra Leonean music from the 1960s to the 1990s. Considering the vast choice of bands and artists during that period, this is no mean feat.

Aminatta Forna, a renowned Sierra Leonean author, says:

“Dr. Fadlu-Deen has commemorated Pino and all the most talented of Sierra Leone’s array of musicians over three decades in a fascinating story that has been meticulously researched and elegantly written… Sierra Leone boasts a powerful voice that moves to its own distinctive beat." 
This is a must-read for music lovers the world over. It is a book that connects the development of Sierra Leonean cultural music and its sources of inspiration from the African Continent and beyond. Above all, it recognises…