I’ve done a lot of things in the past but never did I think I would be producing a concert on behalf of the United Nations.A month ago I was approached by my colleagues here at UNAMSIL to help organize a youth presence at the War Don Don Peace Festival, a celebration of the country’s sustained peace and progress. Initially planned as an international event featuring stars such as Youssou N’Dour and Travis, finances and some insurance issues led to the redefinition of the concept to focus, rightfully so, on local talent.

The title of the event coincides with the words of President Tejan Kabbah who, in January 2002, announced that “War Don Don, Peace don Com,” the war is over, peace has come. And after more than a decade of outright brutal civil war, peace is indeed something to celebrate. The event also marks a transition in the country’s history as the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), here since 1999, prepares to officially withdraw from the country. At one time UNAMSIL was the largest peacekeeping force in the world with over 17,000 troops but with the consolidation of peace and a much needed focus on development the last of troops will leave the country by 31 December 2005.

As the event date approached, my responsibilities on the project grew to encompass some attempts at securing sponsorship and eventually negotiations and contact with the artists and production companies as well as the actual production of the event. While we had initially targeted a select list of 6 key Sierra Leonean performers, we eventually expanded the list to include a wide range of musical talents, allowing for established artists and newcomers to share the stage. While their names may not be familiar outside of Salone, their music is definitely worth finding. Defining it, however, is pretty difficult. In their own words it is not reggae, not hip hop, not soca – it’s a very unique Salone sound. While Sierra Leone’s biggest music star, Emmerson, was out of the country the show didn’t miss a beat with the country’s best such as K’Man, Daddy Saj, Jungle Leaders, Succulent and Extra O playing to an estimated audience of over 20,000.

They were joined by United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador Aja. The Barbadian reggae and spoken word poet had toured the country in 2003 and was so shocked by what he saw that he promised to return to help the country in its path to peace. “This is a defining moment in the history of Sierra Leone," Aja said. "All of the artists are one family. I want us to go out there and tell the world Sierra Leone is on a new path."
While I had hoped the event would draw closer to 30 or 35,000 I can’t complain as since the event I’ve been repeatedly stopped in the streets by people telling me how great of a time they had. The artists and performers were fantastic, extremely flexible despite the schedule running over an hour long. And while we struggled mightily to raise the required funds for the concert, some last minute contributions by some generous sponsors means we’ll be cutting a cheque for over $25,000 to the United Nations Development Programme for poverty reduction programmes.

Thus while the event and associated workload weren’t in my original plans, it was a fantastic opportunity to get engaged in the Sierra Leonean music scene. Music is a key medium for expression. These young artists speak frankly about what has happened, and what is happening in their country. Be it the war, peace, poverty or corruption their music speaks to the reality of life in the world’s second poorest country. But within that reality lies an optimism and a confidence that makes me want to believe that things will indeed change. I can only hope that this event, and TIGs association with it, will have played a role in pushing that change forward.