Sizzla Kalonji – File— Sizzla Kalonji was honored by the government of Gambia when he recently performed at a series of events there. Perceived as a liberator with a cause, Sizzla also acted as cultural ambassador for the 11th staging of the Gambia Roots International Festival in Banjul, West Africa. The unapologetic messenger infused his lyrics with powerful messages that had a subliminal effect on his listeners. At the closing gala event of the Gambia Roots Festival over the weekend, Sizzla was presented with a halam instrument by one of the Kora masters. The halam is a traditional wooden stringed instrument used by the Wolof and the Fullas. At another concert in Independence Square, Sizzla’s backing band functioned like a well-oiled machine, turning out crowd-pleasing hit songs. The original Firehouse Crew comprised of George Miller, Donald Dennis and Paul … Read entire article »