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A podcast series from Africell. Presented by legendary playwright, historian and traditional storyteller Charlie Haffner, this podcast series explores the personalities, places and events that have shaped Sierra Leone, one of Africa’s most extraordinary countries. Presented: Charlie Haffner Written and created: Charlie Haffner and Sam Williams Edited: Nadia Mehdi Executive producers: Sam Williams and Max O'Brien Sound design and mixing: Naomi Clarke Special thanks: Abdul Karim Sesay, Shadi G ...
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Trailer - Salone Stories Sierra Leone looks like a sleeping lion. Soaring from Africa’s Atlantic coast, Sierra Leone symbolises the modern African continent: conscious of the past and inspired by the future. Presented by legendary playwright Charlie Haffner, this new podcast series adapts an ancient oral tradition to explore the personalities, plac…
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Many countries have an iconic building. Sierra Leone had an iconic tree. The giant cotton tree which stood in the heart of Sierra Leone’s capital symbolised the country’s origins as a haven for freed slaves. Until the day it fell in 2023 it was regarded by locals as having mystical powers. In this episode (which was recorded before the tree came do…
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Episode 2 - “High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free”
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Sierra Leone became independent in 1961. As Independence Day approached, soldiers polished their boots, lawyers drafted a constitution, and two men wrote what would become Sierra Leone’s new anthem. In this episode, Charlie Haffner listens to “High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free” and uses it to chart Sierra Leone’s journey as a sovereign nation. …
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“Padi dem, kohntri, una ohl wey dey na Rom”. This is a Krio translation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines. Sierra Leone has a powerful tradition of poetry, song, and plays. In 1963, a playwright translated one of Shakepeare’s most complex works into Krio, Sierra Leone’s local language, in a defiant attempt to prove the worth and depth of Si…
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Episode 4 - Geraldo Pino and The Heartbeats
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African music has never been more popular. Selling out stadia from Lagos to London to LA, Africa’s top artists are slick, stylish and social-media savvy. But there is another story: the risk to more precarious local music traditions in an age of Spotify and smartphones. In this episode, Charlie Haffner listens to the distinctive Salone soundtrack a…
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A chimpanzee’s daring escape from a sanctuary near Freetown in 2006 captured the imagination of Sierra Leone. Almost twenty years later, Bruno remains in the wild, with an almost mythical status, seen by many as a symbol of Sierra Leone’s fiercely free spirit. In this episode, Charlie Haffner visits Sierra Leone’s steaming green rainforest to learn…
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Fourah Bay College has produced some of Africa’s most influential thinkers and leaders. It has also given Freetown an enduring nickname. Though the college struggled during Sierra Leone’s civil war, today it is leading a resurgent culture of learning and innovation. In the final episode in the series, Charlie Haffner wanders around campus and consi…
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