Salia Koroma, One Of The Most Excel Sierra Leonean Traditional Musicians In The 20th Century
Salia Koroma was born in the eastern region, as a young man, Salia’s father left him in the care of his mother while he went to seek his fortune elsewhere. Salia was anxious to go to school but his uncles, who were responsible for him in the absence of his father, did not send him to school. Rather, they sent their own children.
The young Salia therefore went in search of his father whom he finally found. He expressed his desire for education and his father promised that he would indeed “send him to school.” He then proceeded to give young Salia an accordion and said, “This is your school.”
Salia was disappointed at first, but his father insisted on him.
From then on Salia took his father’s commission seriously, mastering the “school” his father had pushed into his hand. Saila later on became the most excel traditional entertainer in the Mendeland and Sierra Leone at large.
He went on to play for the prime ministers, presidents of Sierra Leone and for visiting heads of state.
He even played on the opening of the 1980 OAU now AU Summit hosted in Sierra Leone
He served briefly in the colonial Police, but his police duties didn’t stop him from playing the accordion. When the second world war began, Salia returned permanently to provinces, where he devoted himself full time to his vocation as a musician.

SierraLeonean

Traditional

musician