Musicians perform at a cultural event in Kabala
PHOTOGRAPHS:MARK STRATTON
Vacillating between a circus and self-harm convention, a shirtless performer swallows broken glass whilst another slashes his bloodying tongue before the febrile crowd gasps at a corpse wrapped in calico. “Don’t worry. He’s pretending and will be brought back to life,” smiles Mohammed Marar, coordinating an energetic welcome to Kabala. “What our show is saying is if you have heart you can perform miracles in life.”
If two qualities are required for Sierra Leone’s redemption, it is ‘miracles’ and ‘heart’. From the moment 380 emancipated slaves came ashore in 1787 to lay the foundations for this West African nation it has endured a fraught passage through history. Slavery lingered well beyond abolition in 1807 and thereafter British colonial shenanigans maintained a divided society. After 1961’s independence politicians gorged themselves on diamond wealth before civil war (1991- 2002) shocked the world with its savagery. In 2014, as Sierra Leone staggered to recovery, Ebola struck, claiming 4000 lives.