On Saturday evening, JUJU!, the monthly Afro-centric music night at Upstairs at the Ritzy, hosted a fundraiser for the Sierra Leone Ebola Taskforce, raising more than £800 to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone.
The MC for the event was the dynamic storyteller Usifu Jalloh, introducing the audience to the pan-African sounds of The Afro Palace Vinyl sessions DJs with co-hosts Volta Fortyfive and Richmond Kessie, and live musicians.
Raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone legend Abdul Tee-Jay (ROKOTO) performed numbers from his album Palm Wine A-Go-Go and beyond. Crafted between London, Bujumbura, Burundi, and many places else, Mudibu performed some soulful pieces. Next, we were treated to some fun by world fusion musical outfit 7Suns, playing the first gig of their year. Further special guests from the London JUJU family were DJ BlondeZilla, Kalinka (Darren Zed), Miles Wu-Lu, Jamie Renton and Debbie Golt.
The night was completely sold out, raising £810, before even counting the collection and takings from the groundnut stew sale, which raised £1 from each delicious serving, and special record CDs. This will go towards supporting local charities and buying badly needed medical supplies for the Ebola response through the Sierra Leone Ebola Taskforce in the UK.
So far in Sierra Leone, the unprecedented Ebola outbreak has claimed over 3,062 lives, and affected over 10,000 people. In neighbouring Guinea and Liberia, the centre of the West African Ebola crisis, over 5,350 people have been killed, and nearly a further 11,140 have been infected. Sierra Leoneans need this support from around the world to help rebuild the health sector and make it through this unparalleled health emergency.
The Taskforce have the mission to help end the Ebola crisis by bringing out the best in the UK Sierra Leonean diaspora. It connects concerned Sierra Leone diaspora members with the Ebola response in the country, co-oordinating skills, resources, and networks, such as mobilising health workers, or shipping medical supplies. You can find out more about their work and upcoming events on Facebook, or via EngAyde, the online Sierra Leone diaspora platform.
Upstairs at the Ritzy manager Laura Mills said the night was one of the best they’d ever hosted – the vibe was incredible, the place completely packed, and everyone stayed dancing until people were kicked of the dancefloor in the early hours of the morning. Let’s hope we keep raising and giving to kick Ebola out of Sierra Leone!
Written by new contributor Gargie Ahmad.
