Brabo Leone is a theatrical production created by Sarah Janneh, in co-production with NITE, MusicalMakers, and Theater Utrecht. The show explores themes of identity, ancestry, cultural heritage, and the connections between the Netherlands and Sierra Leone — asking what it means to belong, and to whom.
I was brought in as a songwriter to contribute original composition and lyrics to the production. My credit appears on the official NITE production page.
Composition: Jan van Eerd, Sarah Janneh, Anton de Bruin, Noor, Ernest Kisseh Angmler, Isaac Nii 'Dromor' Dodoo, Thomas Nii Lamptey Botchway, and Aaron Bebe Sukura.
Lyrics (Liedteksten): Jurrian van Dongen, Ronelda S. Kamfer, Tom van Kalmthout, Roziena Salihu, Simme Wouters, Kiki Schippers, Noor, and Ernest Kisseh Angmler.
The songs I contributed were deeply rooted in storytelling. The creative brief required engaging with real personal histories — including Sarah's father, his connection to Sierra Leone, and the landscapes, trees, and silences that carry memory through generations.
I drew on symbolic language, cultural identity, Ewe lyrical elements, and the kind of multilingual writing that doesn't need full translation to communicate feeling. The work required understanding how music theatre songs carry emotional weight differently from conventional recorded music.
Note: Specific song lyrics and unpublished creative material remain confidential as part of the production agreement. The songs are most powerful experienced in context — within the production itself.
What makes this collaboration significant isn't just the credit — it's what it demonstrates. A Ghanaian songwriter, writing for a Dutch theatre production about Sierra Leonean heritage, in collaboration with an internationally recognised cast and creative team.
Storytelling that crosses cultures doesn't happen by accident. It requires deep listening, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to find language that resonates across different experiences of identity and belonging. That's exactly what this project demanded — and what it gave me the opportunity to develop.