Travel wahala hampers Khady Blaq’s show  ‘But Jah Guide!’

 By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)

She was scheduled to arrive two days to the launching of her newest album ‘New sensation’ but unforeseen flight troubles forced Khady Blaq to jet at the Lungi International Airport on the night of her show- May 10^th.

midnight

And the trouble of traveling from our international airport to the capital city of Freetown further caused Blaq to reach the venue of the launch- Thompsonian Illusion on Syke Street, Freetown- way past midnight, by which time the patience of her fans had ran out and majority had switched over to other entertainment venues.

word

But even before that, word had gone round that the female Reggae artist would not arrive in time for her launching, and it was apparent the show would be postponed.

Refugee band

But the UJIMA for Africa Development ambassador was determined to entertain the few loyal fans who stayed. Backed by the world renowned Refugee All Stars band, Khady Blaq performed songs from her old and new albums live.

Free Tones

Earlier a white group of musicians, who called themselves the Free Tones, also performed.

grateful

“I really appreciate all of you who exercised your patience and understanding. I’m so grateful,” Blaq said before her performance.

re-launch

She has plans to make a re-launch but that will not be soon because the ‘Mr Government’ star is skeptical we are now into the rainy season.

release

However, Blaq confirmed to KES, she would officially release ‘New sensation’ album by the end of the month.

Holland

And by next month she’s expected to travel to Holland where she would attend a music seminar organized by a German group.

Third

The 10-track album, ‘New Sensation’, is Blaq’s third and is all-Reggae laced with didactic social messages.

Kubala

Before her departure to the UK, where she had dinner on the auspices of a Hull City Council committee, Blaq released one of her new songs as promo. The song, ‘Kubala’, which means talkative, is done in the local Mandingo tongue and is a swipe at chatty-chatty-less-action people.

Independence festival

On Independence Day, 27^th April 2008, Blaq joined her compatriots, DJ Lulu, Alonzo and Base Aphonyx in an Independence celebration performance organized by British based Sierra Leoneans in a concert hall in London.

Bush

In London Blaq met fiancé Bush Doctor, with whom she had a five year-old daughter, and the songstress had tried to talk the reggae artist, who inspired her, to come to Freetown to grace her launching.

Blaq spent about two weeks in the UK on a dinner invitation from a Hull City Council committee.

Sankofa Sunsplash

In July 2007, Blaq and another Reggae artist, Wilo Wise, also represented Sierra Leone at the Sankofa Sunsplash at the Wilberforce Hall in Hull City. The event, which brought together a host of talents including Dee Jays, dancers, musicians, actors, etc. from all over Africa, aimed, among other things, to heal the wounds of 200 yrs of slavery imposed by Britain on her former African colonies.

“This is a great opportunity for us to show what Sierra Leone can do. It’ll also give us the necessary experience to import back to our country,” Blaq said at the time.

UJIMA

After that event in England, the duo also made a trip to the USA under the UJIMA for Africa Development project. Blaq, who’s an ambassador for the organization, said she believed in the ideals of UJIMA which she described as collective work and responsibility and self-reliance.

In fact both Blaq and Wise paid tribute to UJIMA in a song so titled.

Wilo Wise (Wlliam Taylor) has two albums to his credit: ‘Survival’ (1997) and ‘Alagba nor get yagba’ (2007).

Blaq’s first two albums include ‘Mr Government’ and ‘Fly with Jah Love’.

Khady Blaq opens Blaq Records

Khady Blaq has become one of Sierra Leone’s first musicians to open a record label.

The record label, Blaq Records, is now in operation and Khady has already signed a big name artist called Wilo Wise.

So Khady Black is not only now an artist but also a CEO. The Blaq Records label is registered not only in Sierra Leone but also in California in the USA.

The beautiful black Reggae artist said she is aware that she would be competing with other big record labels like Kallboxx, Forensic, Bodyguard and Studio J. But she boldly stated that it would be a big challenge to her and that she hopes to succeed by Jah’s grace.

“By Jah’s special grace Blaq Records will survive and conquer,” the Reggae star said.

Khady said she opened the record label not only to make money but to help uprising artists, especially females and those who are into Reggae. She also said she would be working closely with Forensic Records and will soon be promoting songs of other artists.