The Full Story
Sierra Leonean Female Artist Queen Hajj signed under New Management
Salone’s music culture is known for its diverse taste, as it derives from french, west indies, British and Creole backgrounds. Its musical richness consists of emotional depth and its mixed history. Musicians and singers such as Bunny Mack, Jimmy B and Emmerson are known to consistently pave the way for future artists, as they improve the Sierra Leonean music industry through their revolutionary lyrics and drive towards the betterment of the country as an entirety. One artist in particular, who doesn’t receive enough recognition for her inspiring work, has always and will always provide motivational and relatable songs for everyone, especially the youth of Sierra Leone.
Getting To Know Queen Hajj
Queen Hajj is a singer and songwriter and has been in the game for over a decade now. Thankfully, I had the honor to interview one of Salone’s oldest and most favorite creatives. Throughout this interview, we learn the ins and outs of the music industry, her views on it and what prompted her to become the star she is now:
Meena: What first got you into music? What or who inspired you to make music?
Queen Hajj: mmm, that's a good one. Naturally, I love music. I’m a music fan, I really really love music. I got inspired by Jennifer Lopez at the time, so yeah. I got into all of her songs, her albums and like when I’m going to sleep I'll be having the tunes in my head, so sometimes I even dream about doing my own song and that was the thing that mostly inspired me to do music, to be a musician.
Meena: How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Queen Hajj: Well, so far, I can say that it's a cultural music–I describe my music like–it's something about um typical music about my culture, my lifestyle, the community that I’m living in, the people around me, all of these kinds of things that inspired me to do my songs everyday. So I say its a, it's a lifestyle, like a culture, my community, my country, and the world at a large, like things that are happening and all.
Meena: What is your creative process like?
Queen Hajj:
Well, as I said, sometimes I dream about a particular melody and I will wake up in the morning, having it in my head and I will go to the studio or just do a rough recording about it. And sometimes, I just watch around and see what's happening, like
things that are affecting our youth, things that are happening in this society; and I will just say “Ah, let me just create a concept about this, this thing is very important and I want people to know that this is happening and they should be aware of it–these are the kinds of ways I get inspired: through my dreams, through my community like things that are happening and i want to express every part of it through my music. So I would just sit down and do something about it.
Queen Hajj: I have an album, my last one, Na, So Tin Go, it was my last album. And the song was talking about life. Whatever you have or if you don't have this, you have to work hard and make sure that it comes to pass and it goes like this:
If ah date sale na mabela ____ na so tin go,
or ah date drive me you car, na so tin go
Even if ah nor get nothing sef, papa god go corba me shame
It's an inspirational song like even if you don't have something in the moment, if you keep persevering and keep doing your thing and keep working hard, you will reach what you want and something like that.
Meena: Well, just now, I was listening to your other song, Break My Heart. That's a good one! So like, of course the fans wanna know what's happening in your personal life?
Queen Hajj: [Laughs] You know, when I released that song, people were like, “Queen Hajj who break your heart? I want to know what happened. Who break your heart?” And all of those kinds of things and I also went into a lot of interviews telling the people that its not that they break my heart but it's something that is happening fast, fast everyday like regular things that is happening in love lives, people do break hearts and they do a lot of break fasting to people so I decided to do that concept but some people dont believe and they are saying that they break your heart that’s what they decided–and just look at the passion and all, so I said “No! I have to put passion in the song because when I am doing something like this I have to put myself in the like person do me something like break my
heart; I will not be happy so I have to express it like it is happening to me. But it is a thing that is always happening in relationships and love affairs so i decided to make a concept about it. Ah-hah. Breaking, breaking my heart ohh.
Meena: [Laughter] It's a very nice song, one of my favorites!
Queen Hajj: Okay, thank you! Good to know.
Meena: So, what is your most favorite song to perform?
Queen Hajj: My most favorite song to perform is Na So Tin Go. That is my favorite song to perform, you know? I always like to inspire people. I always want the youth to know that everything in life is a stage and if you listen to the song or the video, you'll understand what I'm saying because I did everything there like in terms of life you don’t have to rush, you have to take things slow and you have to wait for your time, you have to put effort in doing what you want or don't do it in a way that is not legal or something.
Meena: [Laughs] Right!
Queen Hajj: I always like to perform it, even when I do all of my new songs I would like to perform it last or first to inspire people before moving forward or ending my performance.
Meena: Right. So, do you have a favorite venue you like to perform at?
Queen Hajj: [Sighs] Not really, I can perform anywhere. I have a favorite place, which is the studio.
[Laughter]
Meena: Where did you get your stage name from?
Queen Hajj: Okay, first off, when I started to do music, I was in a group: City Queens. So, since we are the city queens and all of us are queens, we just do the queen thing as our first name then we take our names–our original names and just connect it together, like Queen Hajj; ‘cause its a group called city queens so...I got my stage name from there.
Meena: Oh okay, I had no idea. That's cool.
Queen Hajj: Mmhmm. City Queens was a group formed uhh like in early 2003 or 2004— Meena: Oh wow!
Queen Hajj: We did a collaboration with Juggle Leaders and we were on the same record label called Kalbox Records. Then we’d came together and did a song called "Anytime any Sai", it was a great one, it was a song that took over the whole country, but unfortunately, we were unable to perform it because we didn't want to let go of our education and people kept telling us that we need to go to school to make us better musicians so. The song played all over the country, it went like this:
Any tin you want,
any tin you lek
Ah, go do am for you
Any thin you say boy ah go do...babe was na for you
Anysai oh Any tem
Anysai oh Any tem
Ah ah ah
Ah ah ah
Yeah, but we never performed it. It's one of the best Sierra Leonean music ever. But it's so unfortunate, yeah.
Meena: So are you guys still a group or are you all on a hiatus?
Queen Hajj: Nooo. Ah, noo. We are not. We split because everyone was trying to–the two sisters were trying to go to the university and I was trying to do my WAS exams so it was too much on our heads. We have this priority to take care of, which is to get to the level of our education, to some of our dreams, so that broke us. And after that we did a lot of music, we wrote a lot of songs but we never were able to do all of them and we didn’t even do much. Now, some of them are married and dealing with other things and some of them are...you know. But you know music is something spiritual so it's always connected us together. If you are talented, you are a creative, you just remain that person forever, it's natural.
Meena: So what made you want to get back into music then?
Queen Hajj: No, I've been into music, not back! I've been into it. Since that time, I’ve launched like two albums after that time. I went to college and graduated. I did my first album when I was in my final year in the university and after college I did another album then I'm still doing a lot, a lot, a lot of songs. I have piles of songs in the studio just waiting to do another album to just get a big event. So at times, I just release some and do a video of it like that, bit by bit.
Meena: Okay, that's really good. So what would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Queen Hajj: [Sigh] Like seriously, music is a blessing but if it wasn't for it, by now I should've—maybe I should've been in one local or international office working but I really love music and I want to continue being an artist. So the best I can back it up with is possibly I would have owned some small business at my own small corner, something like that.
Meena: I know that you mentioned that you look up to JLo but are there any other musicians that are your favorite?
Queen Hajj: So far now, after JLo, it’s just Tiwa Savage—
Meena: Mmm, love her too.
Queen Hajj: because I like the way she sings and how far she has carried herself, you know?
Meena: If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
Queen Hajj: You know, if it’s like a Sierra Leonean artist, I would like to do it with Jimmy B.,one of our legends because I really want us to do a collab together. But internationally, I'll like to do it with JLo, my dream mentor!
Meena: That's a big dream, I mean, I hope so for you.
Queen Hajj: Mhm, yeah that's a big one. I mean, you know, dreams come true so we’re working like little by little, with time. Maybe to be very close to it, if not. Never say never, anything can happen.
Meena: Exactly! Now, if you could change anything about the Sierra Leonean music industry, what would it be?
Queen Hajj: Oh my goodness. It's not easy and we are still struggling and we are fighting to have a structure something that we will all look to. So, if I could give my advice on that, just we continue to love each other, and make ways for others because that's what I figured out: if you have an opportunity, you have something, you just do it and close it. You don't allow anyone to get into it, that's criminal. If you have an opportunity, and you are doing well, you have to open the door for others. For example, Nigerians, they embrace their young artists, their coming up artists, and even though it's not easy, you know, music is filled with jealousy, you just want to be, you just want to, you know? But this challenge, we have to pass through it because it is really, really tough for us. We have all our raw talents, we have all of our creativity but we cannot reach out because some of these are limitations, holding us back. So, my advice is for us to make way for each other; like if I’m up here now, I have to give hands down to help another person come up. If we can accept that and make it open for everyone, I believe the music industry will excel.
Meena: Wow, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Speaking of advice though, what's the best advice you've ever been given, music or life?
Queen Hajj: Generally, the best advice I've been given is to have patience in whatever I'm doing. That's something that I always have in my mind because my mom will just tell me, “Haja, everything is time. You have to be patient. You don't have to look like ‘Ah, I’ve been here before these people but they are more—they are far more ahead of me now’ and all of those kinds of things but if you're patient when your time comes, everything will happen just the way how it is supposed to be and it should be a blessing.” So that's the best advice I've ever had.
Meena: Yeah, that's amazing advice. Mothers always know.
Queen Hajj: Mhm, they do!
[Laughter]
Meena: How does it feel to have Mousai Entertainment represent you?
Queen Hajj: It feels good and for me it's a blessing seeing your family have passion in entertainment from a different angle and it's a blessing. I don’t have much to say other than it feels good and that I am grateful.
Meena: So, Queen Hajj, what is next for you?
Queen Hajj: Oh, my goodness. A lot is ahead of me, ohhh. But I can't say much now, I’m into a project and I'm hoping and praying that what we are working towards happens and it comes out the way we wish and pray it happens. But I'll disclose that later, maybe some other time when you interview me. Just know I have projects and it's coming very soon.
Meena: Ouu, I’m excited! That's good to know, thank you! Well that's the interview, that's it!
Queen Hajj: Thank you for interviewing me, it's been a pleasure. I like the smile.
Meena: Thank you, I love the hair!
Queen Hajj: I love your hair too, I think we have the same color of hair, haha!
After much laughter and compliments, we said our goodbyes and parted ways.
- Writer
Meana Jalloh
Intern Journalist
You can find her social media and music on:
