From the Director
When we began this journey, our goal was never to put on "just a stage play." We set out to create a Musical Dance Theatre Performance that breathes life into our ancestral memory.
Coming from Kroo Bay, I understand the importance of performing arts and how it opens up the world. Working with Dori has been an incredible privilege. Her personal journey of ancestral reconnection through DNA testing inspired a story that belongs to all of us. Bringing this mythic world to the stage required a monumental fusion of music, dance, drama, tradition and our fully dedicated cast and crew. Together, these Sierra Leonean artists have poured their sweat, their hearts, and their ancestors' stories into this production.
As a director, I have always believed that theatre is a powerful catalyst for social transformation. Through The Song of Njama, we are becoming the storytellers we need. We are moving beyond stories of hardship to center on dignity, continuity, and the unbreakable bond between the diaspora and Mama Salone.
To you, our audience, thank you for joining us for this homecoming. This performance is an honoring of those who came before us, and a bridge to those who are finding their way back.
Enjoy the performance!
--Mamadu B.J. Jalloh (Beejay) Director, The Song of Njama President, University of Sierra Leone Theatre Group
From the Producer
There are stories we are told and then there are stories that live inside of us, waiting for the right moment to be remembered.
The Song of Njama was not created in a moment of certainty. It was uncovered over time through living, listening, and allowing myself to be guided by something deeper than logic. What began as a move to support my husband’s family business in Sierra Leone became a journey of reconnection, one that led me back to a place I could feel long before I could name.
Through DNA, I learned of my connection to the Mende people. But truthfully, the knowing came before the confirmation. It lived in the land, in the rhythm, in the people, and in the quiet moments that asked me to pay attention.
This play is my offering to that knowing.
Rooted in the oral traditions of Sierra Leone, The Song of Njama is a story about memory, identity, and the unbreakable thread between past and present. It speaks to what happens when a people are separated from their story and what becomes possible when they find their way back. It is a reflection of loss, but more importantly, of return.
Storytelling is the oldest form of communication. Long before the written word, we passed down who we were through voice, song, cloth, and spirit. In many ways, this production is an act of remembering, an effort to honor those who carried the story when everything else was taken.
This work would not exist without the people who said yes before there was proof. The all Sierra Leonean cast, the creatives, the partners, and the community who stood with this vision from its earliest days, you are part of this story.
My hope is that as you watch, you do not only see Njama, but that you feel something within yourself begin to stir. A question. A memory. A pull.
Because the truth is, the song never stopped. We are simply learning how to hear it again.
--Dori Turay, CEO of Salone Hidden Gems
