Ebenezer Calendar
Summary
Ebenezer Calendar (1912–1985), also spelled Calender, was a Sierra Leonean singer, instrumentalist and songwriter associated with maringa and palm-wine music. His songs combined entertainment with accounts of events, social life and moral reflection.[1]
Life and career
Born in Freetown, he trained as a carpenter and coffin maker. Singing at wakes and playing with a small group preceded a wider performing career. He joined the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service in 1952, connecting his musicianship with radio's growing public reach.[1]
Music and style
Guitar, percussion and other instruments supplied a flexible ensemble texture. Calendar's band combined locally made instruments with imported ones; his own instrumental experience included mandolin, cornet and trumpet. The maringa sound also engaged calypso, giving his work a place within exchanges between West African and Caribbean popular music.[2]
Works and performances
The song celebrating the introduction of double-decker buses was commissioned by Decca in 1951. 'Fire, Fire' is another remembered recording. Later songs increasingly emphasized lessons drawn from experience. Performances with the national dance troupe at Commonwealth arts events added an international setting to a career deeply associated with Freetown and its listeners.[1]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sierra Leone Web: Ebenezer Calendar, Our Cultural Heritage. Accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ Nago Seck: Ebenezer Calendar, Afrisson, updated 2020. Accessed 23 October 2026.
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Source: Ebenezer Calendar — https://wiki.muglobe.com/wiki/Ebenezer_Calendar