| Khady Black | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Khadyja Fofana |
| Born | June 21, 1980 |
| Origin | Koidu Town, Kono District, Sierra Leone [1] |
| Genres | Roots reggae, Reggae |
| Occupations | Rastafarian, Song writer, Producer, Social Activist |
| Years active | 2002 – present |
| Labels | Black Records, Supreme Inc |
| Associated acts | Supreme Inc, NGO Ujima, Borbor Bele |
| Website | http://www.khadyblack.com/ |
Khadyja Fofana (born June 21, 1980 in Koidu Town, Sierra Leone) better known by her stage name Khady Black is a Sierra Leonean rastafarian and Roots reggae musician. She is Sierra Leone's first international female reggae artist [2]. Khady Black sings mainly in English, Krio and in her native Mandinka language.
Because of her style of singing, many refer to Black as a social activist whose songs address key issues affecting Sierra Leone’s youth and in particular women. Her lyrics, which poke fun of real life situations like calling for education of youths in her "Mr. Government" song and teasing black women who get caught up in wearing skin-lightening creams in “Cosmetic Girls” is a testament of Khady Black’s satirical genius. Like other Rastafarian, Khady Black is a huge fan of Jamaican international Reggae star Bob Marley. Khady Black is getting ready to release her new and nationally anticipated album called Flying With Jah Love, with her new record label Black Records.
In June 2005, Khady Black released her debut album Mr. Government at the National Stadium in Freetown in front of thousands of fans. The album was a huge success in Sierra Leone and internationally. In November 2005, Khady Black won the TBS Music Award held in Freetown, Sierra Leone for Best Reggae Album - Mr. Government.
Khady Black performed together with dozens of international musical artists from Africa and the Caribbean to mark the 200th Anniversary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade held on August 27, 2007 at the Queen's Gardens in Hull, England. The event celebrated African and Caribbean culture and featured several international artists from Africa and the caribbean [3].
In November 2005 Khady Black and her label the Supreme Inc went on tour in the United States with fellow Sierra Leonean musician Emmerson and his Borbor Bele fame crew. On the tour in U.S., she performed in New York City, Philadelphia, Pensilvania, Atlanta, Georgia and in Langley Park, Maryland. She also went on tour in September 2005 in England and performed at the VIP Charity Navo's nightclub in London and at the Brixton Recreation Centre also in London. In July 2005 she had a Special performances at Le Palais and Vibrations Nightclub in Conakry, Guinea. In August 2005 she performed at Jokor and Calabash in Banjul, The Gambia.
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Khadyja Fofana, better known as Khady Black, was born on June 21, 1980 in Koidu Town, Kono District in Eastern Sierra Leone to deeply religious muslim parents Haja Fanta Saccoh and Alhaji Mustapha Fofana. Both of his parents are members of the Mandingo ethnic group. As the last daughter in a family of fourteen, Khady had always been the darling of the family. She is a graduate of the Koidu Girls Secondary School in Koidu Town.
In November 2005 Khady Black and her label the Supreme Inc went on tour in the United States with Emmerson and Borbor Bele fame crew. On the tour in U.S., she performed in New York City, Philadelphia, Pensilvania, Atlanta, Georgia and in Langley Park, Maryland. She also on tour in September 2005 in England and performed at the VIP Charity Navo's nightclub in London and at the Brixton Recreation Centre also in London. In July 2005 she had a Special performances at Le Palais and Vibrations Nightclub in Conakry, Guinea. In August 2005 she performed at Jokor and Calabash in Banjul, The Gambia.
Today, Khady Black feels her biography will not be complete without making mention of Ujima, an NGO that took a bold step by appointing her as the first Sierra Leonean artist ever to be named “Goodwill Ambassador.” In a proud voice, she tells Kalleone Entertainment & Sports Newspaper – “before now, only international artists were selected to be such, you know what I mean, I like rewriting the history books.
In a very short period of time, she settled in as a perfect Goodwill Ambassador, donating one million Leones to her fan club to promote micro-economics on behalf of the NGO that she had vowed to support. She again became the first female Sierra Leonean artist to visit the sad victims of her country’s 10 year rebel war to offer words of comfort and donate thousands of used clothing to the wives of amputees in their amputee camps. “It is not their fault that they have turned out this way, some of us with the upper hand should not forget them in their sad states,” she said in a soft voice. “Ujima has helped empower me and I now know my full potential and understand how to help myself so I can help others along the way, I want to pass on this message to my brothers and sisters who are still not aware of their potentials.”