By Ibrahim S. Bangura
For more than five decades, a woman who arrived in Sierra Leone as a newly married bride has dedicated her life to education, music, and cultural development, helping to shape one of the country’s leading performing arts institutions — the Ballanta Academy of Music and Performing Arts.
She arrived in Sierra Leone on March 1, 1970, with her husband, Alhaji Dr. Amadu Tejan Fadlu-Deen, a Sierra Leonean medical doctor whom she met while he was studying in Dublin, Ireland. After their marriage, the couple decided to settle in Sierra Leone, where they built a family and contributed significantly to national development. “I have become accustomed to Sierra Leone, and I love the country. I also have a wonderful family here. I lost my husband eleven years ago. We have four children and six grandchildren,” she said.
Upon arrival, Dr. Fadlu-Deen joined government service as a medical doctor, while she began her teaching career at Methodist Boys High School in Freetown. The family later moved to Lunsar, where her husband worked at Marampa Mines. During that period, she continued promoting music education, teaching at Port Loko Women’s Teachers College and Our Lady of Guadalupe School.
After returning to Freetown, her passion for music education grew stronger. She joined the Nursery Schools Association as a music teacher before being encouraged by the late renowned music educator Logie Wright to join Milton Margai Teachers College.
At Milton Margai, she taught and lectured in music while promoting Sierra Leone’s cultural heritage. She played a key role in developing the Cultural Wan Pot programme, which brought together students from different ethnic backgrounds through traditional music, dance, storytelling, and poetry.
Following Logie Wright’s retirement, she continued serving as Head of the Performing Arts Department while also teaching part-time at Ballanta. Together with Wright and the Board of Directors, she helped establish the foundation of what would become the Ballanta Academy of Music and Performing Arts.
The academy officially opened on October 25, 1995, at 27 Liverpool Street, a facility secured through the support of Professor Syl Cheney-Coker, one of the founding board directors. Since then, the institution has grown significantly, expanding its facilities and programmes through support from partners and donors.
A major milestone was the construction of the Logie Wright Auditorium in 2022, named in honour of the academy’s co-founder. She described the auditorium as one of the finest performing arts facilities in Freetown. “When we started, resources were very limited. We used wooden boards as a stage and had makeshift chairs for audiences. Through benefit concerts, sponsorships, and the generosity of musicians and supporters, we were able to complete the auditorium,” she recalled.
She also highlighted her lifelong appreciation for brass band music, inspired by her childhood experiences attending police parades in Singapore where her father served. This appreciation contributed to her admiration for Sierra Leone’s own marching band tradition, particularly the vibrant school band culture in Freetown.
Reflecting on the academy’s leadership over the years, she acknowledged former board chairs including Mrs. Lulu Wright and Mr. Tani Pratt, and expressed confidence under the current leadership of Dr. Julius Spencer.
Looking ahead, she described the planned Ballanta branch at the historic old Fourah Bay College building in Cline Town as an exciting opportunity to expand access to music education. Through a partnership with the Playing For Change Foundation, the centre is expected to provide free music tuition to young people.
One of her major contributions to Sierra Leone’s cultural documentation is her book, Milo and All That Jazz, published around 2014, which chronicles the country’s popular music scene between 1980 and 2000. The publication preserves the history of a vibrant era of live bands, performances, and musical expression that shaped Sierra Leone’s cultural identity.
Other significant achievements during her years at Ballanta include the institution’s accreditation through the National Council for Technical, Vocational and Other Academic Awards (NCTVA), international cultural exchanges, partnerships with global institutions, and opportunities that have exposed Sierra Leonean musicians to international platforms.
Through collaborations with organisations and institutions including the Confucius Institute, Chinese Embassy, Wells Cathedral School, German partners, and the Playing For Change Foundation, Ballanta students have benefited from training, scholarships, cultural exchanges, and international exposure. “Sierra Leone has extraordinary cultural wealth. The talent is here, the passion is here, and the creativity is here. What we must continue to build are the pathways that allow these gifts to flourish and inspire future generations,” she said.
Her story stands as a proof to the power of education, culture, and commitment in shaping generations of musicians, performers, and educators in Sierra Leone.