Recording Trip - African Style

With Kim Knight in Sierra Leone

Preparing to board for Shenge town.

The Sierra Leone team had arranged for recordings to be done in the SHERBRO: Shenge language. To get to Shenge town, the heart of that language area, we had the option of a 15 hour road trip, or a 40 km boat trip. The boats are fascinating - built of 12 x 1 planks carved out of trees with a chain saw, and about 15 - 20 metres long, and very seaworthy. Ours carried 50 - 60 people, plus huge bales of smoked fish, baskets of crabs, chooks (chickens) etc, all pushed along by a lone 40 HP outboard. Fortunately the conditions were good. At one stage I heard a loud squawk from one of the chooks - its owner had plucked a feather from it with which she then started to clean out her ears. I had never thought of a chook as a mobile cotton-bud dispenser!

Once we had settled in at Shenge, we were introduced to the Paramount Chief. He is a Christian and was happy to support our recording project. We were then taken on a guided tour of the settlement to select suitable recording locations and chose two mud buildings with thatched roofs. They were fine except for the ever-present roosters.

The five recordists, Andrew, Moses, Fredrick, Sando and Felicia each recorded one Look, Listen and Live book. The language helpers were very thorough in translating the English scripts into their language, ensuring that the recordings will be very meaningful to the listeners. Everyone did a great job and the new recording machines worked very well on their first real recording job. We thank the Lord for your prayers and for His enabling and protection.