I Feel Like Journey On

“Historical Study Tour of Sierra Leone” (#6 of 9)

Despite the exhaustiveness of the 10-day, cross-country adventure, observing and experiencing shared cultural connections made me feel like journeying on throughout it.

“A Rice Feast” in Makeni on Day Three displayed an abundance of rice dishes. Some were similar to Gullah Geechee rice dishes, while some rice drinks, meals, and desserts were uniquely Sierra Leonean.  At the affair, I sang “De Rice Sing,” which I’d composed during my 2005 visit. The audience sang along to the chorus:

“Een Salone dey eat rice, fa true
Gullah Geechees eat rice—dat so
Sometime shree time a day
No, we cyahn go and not eat rice
Or we belly fa rice will pray”

and wholeheartedly engaged in the refrain: “Pat yo belly. Pat yo belly.” Indeed, the food was so enjoyable it made our bellies want to dance!

At the “Sierra Leone-Gullah Connection Musical Extravaganza” in Freetown on January 2, several Gullah Geechee performers enthralled the audience at the Bintumani Conference Center. At the request of the tour leader, I coordinated tour participants to share stories, songs, and historical information.  Natalie performed “The People Could Fly” folktale, which made some Sierra Leoneans similar stories about Africans with supernatural powers. Simeon shared the story of “The Hag,” another shared cultural belief about shape-shifters and beings with magical abilities. Spirituals and gospel songs were lifted; Veronica Gerald, of Conway, told the story of her enslaved ancestor Beena who had been brought from Africa to Brookgreen Plantation; and Sara and Natalie dueted “We Are One,” a haunting and uplifting song about interconnectedness throughout the universe.

Sara and Natalie at Music Extravaganza.JPG

Simeon at Extravaganza.jpg

Veronica at Extravaganza.jpg

Another meaningful adventure unfolded during a visit to Senehun Ngola, the Sierra Leone village featured in the documentary “The Language You Cry In.” The Moran Family of Harris Neck, GA had kept alive a Mende burial song and was introduced to the village in 1997 during the second Gullah Homecoming to Sierra Leone. Wilson Moran, of Harris Neck, revisited his Sierra Leonean family and his relatives, the Relaford Family members, originally from Riceboro, GA, were introduced to theirs.

Threshed rice at Rogbonko.JPG

Scenes of threshed rice grains on sheets of tarp in front of village homes, rice farmers working in fields, and community members toting objects on their heads connected past with present and fostered me to not despair about the 10-day sojourn. As sung by my ancestors, I’d begin each morning thinking: “I come this far, fin no fault, feel like journey on!”