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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCALENDER, Ebeneezer(b '12, Sierra Leone) Composer, guitarist, singer. Began playing gombe drum (a large bass drum); a carpenter by profession, later formed own band Ebeneezer Calender and his Men with gombe drum, frame drums, guitars, flutes, recorders, trumpets and sousaphone; sang in Krio and English, became best known performer of maringa (combination of Caribbean merengue with highlife), most popular musician in Sierra Leone '50s-60s. Songs related to daily life, special events, questions of social behaviour; many 78 singles on Decca incl. "You Cooked Jollof Rice', "Double Decker Bus', "Baby Lay On Your Powder Now', "Do Your Thing, Leave Mine', "Vulture Has No Certificate'. Worked for Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service '60-84, later Dir. of Traditional Music for Radio Sierra Leone, working occasionally with the Maringa Band on radio and TV. |