Album Notes

Ebony Heritage is an African gospel acapella group that was formed on July 19, 2004 on the Buduburam Refugee Settlement, where Liberian refugees reside. The camp is located in the Central Region of Ghana. The visionaries of the group were Sam T.O. Wologbo and Leon Kofi Guehduo. The group was first called West Heritage to signify their location in West Africa, but this name was ambiguous in that the “West” (America and Europe) always came to mind. It was later changed to Ebony Heritage to reflect the group’s desire to represent the culture of every Black person, regardless of location.

We are from Liberia: Africa’s oldest independent republic and the second oldest black republic in the world after Haiti. It was founded in 1847 by freed slaves from the United States of America. The country has just emerged from 14 years of brutal civil war in which the entire nation, especially the youth, was affected. Every member went through traumatic experiences during the war: some came close to losing their lives while others lost loved ones and friends. However, the country is recovering from the effects of the war; it now has as president, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa’s first female elected president.

Even though we find ourselves in refugee camps confronting very difficult situations on a daily basis, we strongly believe God through music can heal the pains of the civil war and help us face the challenges of our lives without being negative. Our situations have in no way made us lose our sense of responsibility to our community and humanity in general but rather have built us up and given us a greater degree of self confidence. With the gift of singing, we hope to not only regain our lost dignity but to inspire our generation.

We choose acapella as our style because we believe everything we need to express our emotions and externalize our thoughts is in our voice. Acapella has a deep root in Liberia, having been brought over from the United States by the freed slaves. We combine both traditional African rhythms (which the indigenous people had before the arrival of these freed slaves) with contemporary styles to glorify God, showcase the unique musical culture of Liberia and tell our story.

Our lyrics are mainly based on God (Who is our source of energy, inspiration and life; without whom we wouldn’t have reached thus far.) and Christian values; however, we also compose songs about social issues such as: HIV/AIDS, Time, Peace, Unity, etc. Our country has been know by the world for war, violence, and instability; many people are of the opinion that nothing good can come from her, but we want to tell the world that in the midst of all the destructions there are many good things about Liberia that the world needs to know: we are evidence of resilience, resourcefulness, self-reliance and the will to succeed in spite of difficulties.