Lansana Sheriff (28 August 1966 – 7 December 2024), popularly known by his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Steady Bongo, was a Sierra Leonean musician and record producer, who was considered to be one of the country's most famous musicians.

Life and career

Lansana Sheriff better known as Steady Bongo was born in

Daru Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and a former Catholic bishopric. Daru town falls under the jurisdiction of Daru Urban LLG. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is lo ...

, a rural

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Kailahun District Kailahun District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is the town of Kailahun. The second most populous city in the district is Segbwema. Other major towns in Kailahun District include Koindu, ...

in Eastern Sierra Leone to an ethnic Mandingo father and a Mende mother. Steady Bongo grew up in a largely Mende-speaking household in Daru. From an early age, he performed on stage, imitating musicians such as the legendary Big Fayia, Samile, Eric Donaldson, and Prince Nico. He hosted a programme called "Variety Time" at the

Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) is the national radio and television broadcasting, broadcaster in Sierra Leone. It is owned by the government of Sierra Leone and is a branch of the Sierra Leone Ministry of Information and Commun ...

(SLBS). His first album, ''Ready Before You Married'', was released in 1990 and became an instant success not only in Sierra Leone, but in neighbouring countries as well. His second album ''Kormot Bi En Me'', released in 1996, received the Best Album Award and had record-breaking sales. The album was the first of Steady Bongo's records to be released on CD in the United States. In 1998, he released ''Welcome to Democracy Na Salone'' and ''Born For Suffer'' in 1999. Sheriff was credited for being one of the first musicians to popularise Sierra Leonean music to the outside world. He died in a traffic collision in ujehu District Sierra Leone on 7 December 2024, at the age of 58.

Discography

*''Ready Before You Married'' (1992) *''Kormot Bi En Me'' (1996) *''Welcome to Democracy Na Salone'' (1998) *''Born For Suffer'' (1999)

References

External links

* http://steadybongo.com/ * https://www.facebook.com/steady.bongo * {{DEFAULTSORT:Steady Bongo 1966 births 2024 deaths Sierra Leonean male singers Sierra Leonean Mandingo people Mende people People from Kailahun District 20th-century male singers 21st-century male singers Road incident deaths in Sierra Leone