STORIE STORIE

The wind has carried the stories of the world for many moons. Fables of truth and pure imagination sail through the sky, waiting to be heard. Only a collective of great wisemen, storytellers, poets and musicians have the art to translate the wails of the wind to the people. These are The Griots. Typically you will find The Griot waxing lyrically with their extravagant costumes at an

open fire; their audience captivated with folktales, myths and religious stories -

entertaining with a profound message. The orchestra of wildlife calls provided a perfect backing track and freshly roasted peanuts was shared; Alim Kamara began his initiation to following the path of many other griots before him.

Storytelling was a constant in Alim’s life: from his youth in Sierra Leone and listening to tales of the world renowned character kwaku Anansi the Spider; as a youth in the UK watching TV shows like Tom & Jerry and listening to NWA. His love for performing arts manifested through his formative years by providing family members entertainment emulating Michael Jackson’s dance moves, playing lead roles in school plays and even gaining an A in Drama.

But his love of arts was not shared with the world, so Alim silenced the wind and opted to studied “serious” subjects such as Business and Computing & amp; Electronics. As much as he tried to ignore it, Alim found that the wind would call to him - through open mic and spoken word showcases that would allow him to quench his creativity.

He could no longer escape his calling and enrolled on to a Creative and Media

Writing. Mentored by poets and storytellers, Alim achieved a first class degree, wrote the final year poem for the university and received the Edna Fuller prize for student who contributed most to the community. This reigniting of his passion finalised his birthright as a Griot.

Following his calling to deliver storytelling helped Alim through the trials in life. Relaying stories that mirror actual real world obstacles was therapeutic for himself as well as his audience. In his own words: Storytelling allows us to create our own free will, using imagery and conclusions. It probably saved my life. The wind is speaking and Alim is translating it the best way he knows how.

Storytelling, Rhythm and poetry has transported Alim to Dubai, Holland, Canada, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and The USA.

Just like the Griots from his past, Alim leaves his audience captivated with all his performances and craving to not only enjoy his stories; but to learn, relate and elevate. Great storytelling is ultimately about capturing elegant context to the complexity the nuances of life.