Vickie Remoe Show: Meet The Krios in Sierra Leone's Capital Freetown

Explore Freetown with Vickie Remoe to meet the descendants of enslaved Africans who left the New World to return to the Colony of Freedom to create a new creolized way of life that is now over 200 years old.
Guests: Cassandra Garber, Krio Descendants Union
Tour: The Maroon Church built by Jamaicans and Nova Scotians

[@RosalindGash]

If I listen closely to Mother Garber I can understand her. I'm 50 years old and Krio sounds very similar to the "Black English" that the old elders spoke (and I understood) when I was a small girl in South Carolina. It took me a few minutes, but I guess hearing her speak triggered old memories or something, because I started being able to understand her better and follow what she was saying. If you speak to her again, please let her know that *we still go to Watch Night service!* This was just amazing!

[@VickieRemoe]

That’s lovely! Thank you for sharing Rosalind! Sierra Leone has a long and deep connection with the Carolinas....the rice coast.

[@RosalindGash]

@@VickieRemoe Yes, the rice! When I was growing up, no meal was complete without rice, LOL. The only time we didn't eat rice was for breakfast. I have a couple of bags of rice in my cupboard right now. 😂

[@vaimende]

krio sounds nothijng like american accejnt, the only accent in africa similar to carolinas is the namerico liberian accent. sierra leonesns either sound like nigerians are borderline nigerian mixed with jamaican and evan that is limited to the older krio generation

[@billyyajah7618]

​@@VickieRemoe Maroon is not the oldest in Sierra Leone 👍👍

[@billyyajah7618]

​@@VickieRemoe Zion Methodist Church was built in 1792 it's the oldest in Sierra Leone 👍👍👍

[@abdulsharif6541]

I was told by my aunt that our family have Sierra Leone Blood... I am planning to take my DnA test (Patriarchy/Father side) if my results comes back positive for Sierra Leone DnA, I will apply for my Sierra Leone Citizenship....Salute to SALONE🇸🇱

[@lifeisimportantkate]

Abdul your mother should be right. When I hear your name it speaks Sierra Leone to me. Me Brother accept ehn hold fast to your route.

[@abdulsharif6541]

I am planning to visit both Sierra Leone🇸🇱 and Liberia🇱🇷 in 2022. I can't wait to try Sierra Leonean Food....

[@NaturallyLluvme]

This is amazing! This sounds so much like Belizean Kriol. Wow!

[@lifeisimportantkate]

Thanks for this. Reminds me of my father who said Krio is not a tribe. I am a descendant of Liberated African. Vickie living your earrings.

[@robertfonjofenjeh4303]

Thank you, Vickie🎉

[@kofikwabena5785]

One love from America

[@gideontaylor6985]

Bravo!!! Your presentation and coverage is always excellent. You do Salone and Mama Africa proud!!!

[@VickieRemoe]

Thank you!

[@zedzee23]

Me Salone people dem I love Una 😛🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱

[@eltonq]

Holy cow the old lady speaks with the accents of at least 5 different places Jamaican patois being one of the stronger accents. I also heard British and some eastern Caribbean in there too!

[@sunshine6928]

It’s so wonderful to watch a brief history into The Krios, they gave Freetown that vibrant cultural heritage. Thanks Vickie ar lek de show🌹💯

[@rosemond1644]

That was my former principle from FSSG. Her daughter and me started form 1 in the same year. I hope she is well.

[@IkesLionsDen]

Your channel is simply amazing!!!! I'm in awe! Very educational documentary 👏🏿

[@lifeisimportantkate]

I agree

[@hajibah1273]

Nice program, u make me feel hungry.

[@abdoulayetandia2175]

Thank you Vickie it was a pleasure to hear you you're full of joy love you

[@jaytee9884]

It’s the sound track for me!!!

[@obeahman6286]

Well, I am Jamaican and I understand the conversation perfectly. We call the language Patois.

[@lifeisimportantkate]

Patois is it not french?

[@obeahman6286]

@@lifeisimportantkate It could be related, in a French speaking country. Here it is a mixture of English, little Spanish and lots of West African words.

[@reginaldbrown-taylor1202]

@@obeahman6286 Krio was largely influenced by Patois, brought by the Jamaican Maroons.

[@fusimia-wandong6814]

Krio culture covers most of coastal West Africa and extends to Cameroon and Gabon. The krio spoken in Anglophone Cameroon is closer to that of Sierra Leone than that of Neighbouring SE Nigeria. This may in part be due to the presence in Limbe (previously known as Victoria) of about 20 families such as the Burnleys, Quans, Haddisons, Martins and co.

[@chrisoghenetegamaloney5799]

You lie too much in Cameroon u have pidgin English nothing like Krio u just stated, what kind of Krio u have in Angola hmmmm maybe Portuguese Krio

[@reginaldbrown-taylor1202]

@@chrisoghenetegamaloney5799 It’s true. They went there, but were assimilated into the local culture due to their small number. Gambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, equitorial Guinea......

[@eguleyepandiz3001]

Thank you so much for educating some of us with the KRIO history. Hope we go get more of this be4 our independence celebration?✌️.

[@jo.onthego]

Loved hearing the history on the Cotton Tree. Your show plus your podcast have been teaching me so much!

[@VickieRemoe]

Thank you for listening

[@mohsinsmart2464]

U guide how is sierra leone for work pakistani people

[@yawahviskinda3038]

I just just turn to your tv and omg it was like I was siting and talking to my mother. Great work.

[@NdudubyFafa]

Binge watching today ❤️

[@lifeisimportantkate]

Me Too, feeding my African soul

[@carralumsden8853]

Listening to you all and Aunty cassandra really is a joy to my ears. My family are Krio peoples my nan grandad mum and uncle told me all about the tree and their joyous upbringing in Sierra Leone. Nothing was perfect however the memories they shared to us growing up was beautiful, fun filled and awe inspiring. Certainly going to live there one day when I am settled. Thank you, I needed to see that crain crain. My FAVOURITE Afircan Sierra Leonean dish with fufu or rice, always. Thank you for sharing. I share some of our cultural practices with few good peoples in all it's forms. African culture is a large thing from where I am from in the UK, all nations of people I know of have enjoyed elements of our African cultural systems and have profered knowledge on Sierra Leonean history. We have been doing chrislamish for centuries, peacefully. I would love to own some fertile farmland, open to commercial opportunities and ideas we have, eventually, as promised by the most high. Till such a time, my creative skillsets are requred here. Krio Bantu African-Caribbean in Britain P.E.A.C.E

[@MrTreezNW]

Thank you for this video 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@IlonaFuadFarm]

Good afternoon Mrs Romoe. Thank you very much, enjoying your Program. It’s very interesting and Educative program . Keep the good work. My best regards. Fouad koroma

[@lifeisimportantkate]

True

[@FrancisStevensGeorge]

Amazing history!

[@billyyajah7618]

Fascinating and Inspirational 👍👍👍

[@ramatukanu2086]

Good history, thanks for this program.

[@daphnecoker6861]

Wow am so impressed having been abroad for a long while i do remember Mrs. Gerber from my school days she is legend thanks for your videos very informative please keep up the good work have also shared God bless you

[@Elton1001]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@veronicabeckley8779]

Thank you Mrs Garber. Great interview.

[@abusoriekamara]

God bless you for your Tv show

[@africanday7337]

Amazing tourist enlightenment; a great pull factor 👍

[@anasonclarke4472]

Nice piece. Keep it up dear.

[@lifeisimportantkate]

Awe Mrs Garber my former Principal of FSSG. Long time her face is still the same. Thanks mama for educating us

[@Africanqueen3972]

I am a Hamilton. My grandparents house was 28 Percival Street.

[@UnrivaledMIATTA]

Really loved this episode, learnt a lot. Keep it coming Ms. Romoe

[@mohsinsmart2464]

U guide me how is sierra leone for work pakistani people

[@eugeniamacaulay2834]

That's my church.

[@hamidujallohtv5556]

Super 👍🏿

[@franklynfawundu5178]

Oh nice Vickie some history lesson from Grama, but da foofoo wet me mot bad.

[@authenticallyafrican]

Thank u Vickie for this wonderful video can you plsss share the link to the background music....

[@albertg63]

Seen as though I am a krio man I was enjoying this video untill the end! When you had the audacity to eat fufu with a fork!!🤯 U too lek weit man!

[@VickieRemoe]

And I would do it again and again! 😅

[@lifeisimportantkate]

You send O sit tight en enjoy. 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Eat foofoo with fork. A spoon should be better. I eat foofoo with spoon. Me at done fordom nah watah turn fish. 😂😂😂😂

[@josephbrimaconteh2008]

Impressive

[@lifeisimportantkate]

No Vickie he said Sawa Sawa norto Bitters. Even you repeat after the server. When did you come up with bitters? The crain crain is not alive until you eat it with your hand. Vickie you are entertaining, you make me laugh. I am sending this video to my daughter.🤣

[@iTuber012]

The whole area around the cotton tree needs to be redone. It should not be a traffic circle to say the least

[@VickieRemoe]

Yes, it wouldn't hurt if we treated it with more reverence.

[@janatumomoh208]

I love you girl

[@adeyinkabenjamin9537]

Titi yu trai

[@AbelVarneyMcKing85]

Maybe someone should clean it up.

[@ccamp6807]

I love you show Vicky however "Kandah" is the dried skin of the cow .... it is NOT Chitlin...Chitlin is cleaned-out pig intestines..."Kandah" is NOT the same as Chitlin...I see you corrected yourself in the end...the taste of the food must have been so good😋 it caused you to make the initial mistake 😂🤣

[@VickieRemoe]

Thank you! I was so confused. I've never actually had chitlins. I don't eat pork. 🤣

[@omarsonko779]

Yah we know when Freetown have this name Freetown and who owen the land before your ancestors come into sierra leone 🇸🇱 okay i will tell you is a very small tribe call limba tripe in 1600 ,the menda tribe come from Liberia 🇱🇷 tamani from mali 🇲🇱 to sierra leone

[@VDO683]

hi🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩

[@allan_astrophotography]

Vickie Remoe, the recommended method for eating foofoo and egusi or sawa sawa is by the bare hand, not a fork. They say it taste a million times better, that way. Lunta

[@VickieRemoe]

I certainly don’t need instructions on how to eat my foo foo. I would certainly not eat foo foo with my hands when I’m not certain that there is water and soap to properly wash my hands and certainly not if I don’t want my hands to smell like soup after. I can assure you the food tastes the same whether you use your hand or a fork or spoon.

[@ramatukanu2086]

You don't like to eat too much but you like to eat.

[@VickieRemoe]

That's what I say every day 🤣

[@veronicabeckley8779]

Humber music

[@1Alkebulan]

Please next time, wash ur hands and eat fufu the proper way. It like disrespecting the food using the fork.

[@VickieRemoe]

No. I did not want the smell of sauce on my hands. It's my food I can eat it how I want. How does someone disrespect food? Food is not a person. Why does it matter to you how someone else eats their own food that is going into their own stomach?

[@1Alkebulan]

@@VickieRemoe right! Why does it matter. Shalom!

[@milkdiamond1490]

@@VickieRemoeI can just see the puzzling look on your face as you respond to this comment. 😃😃😃

[@milkdiamond1490]

@@VickieRemoe I saw the comments before seeing the fufu scene. Hey, pretty lady, I've got to agree with the OP. You're straight violating!!! 😃😃 Who eats fufu with fork?!! 😃😃 You are familiar with the NYC scenes. Would you risk jail time by eating pizza with fork? 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️😃😃😃 I'm not used to, and I am not comfortable eating fufu or rice with my hands either, but at least a spoon would be a decent defense in court. 😃😃 All the same, I enjoyed the show. Good stuff!! 😉

[@lindabrown0]

The Maroons made arrangements with the British to return runaway slaves back to their slave masters to maintain their own freedom in Jamaica. The Creoles of Sierra Leone were "ahead" of the tribal peoples in education etc but their sense of elitism kept them aloof from the tribal people. I visited Sierra Leone twice in the 80s and knew many from my student days. Met some great people and admired the strength of the Creole family; how the better off ones fostered/schooled the children of relatives. Unfortunately, their insularity and elitism; loyalty only to their group was not the best option in nation building IMHO.

[@VickieRemoe]

While your lived experience is valid, it’s not valid enough to generalize about an entire ethnic group. What you’ve recounted about the Maroons is only partially accurate and a small part of Maroon history. They themselves were slaves who ran away. It was only after they were tricked by the slavers that they were defeated. The Krios were not ahead of indigenous people. The Krios were “more westernized”, naturally because they came from the new world. The ethnic groups in what became SL were not backward nor a lesser people. They had their own systems of learning, customs, and civilization.

[@lindabrown0]

@@VickieRemoe Not at all implying any "backwardness" of the tribal peoples and what you say is true regarding their own systems and culture but since the Krios were "more westernized"/educated, they could have done more to advance the entire country. Btw, the maroons were never defeated!!! The British signed peace treaties with them to end the Maroon wars.........

[@VickieRemoe]

@@lindabrown0 there were several Maroon Wars, the last one got many Maroons deported to Nova Scotia. It was from there, those who survived sailed to Sierra Leone. The British as usual destroy and then pretend to rescue and reconstruct.

[@peterdauda3351]

Just like in Liberia, the krios of Sierra Leone wanted to enjoy their freedom at the expense of the African natives, with grave consequences similar to the Liberia situation.

[@VickieRemoe]

Not sure what you getting at. Sierra Leone and Liberia have very different histories. The Americo-Liberians actuality did govern for hundreds of years. Sierra Leone has never had an elected Krio president.

[@peterdauda3351]

@@VickieRemoe In actual fact, are we in agreement that Sierra Leone and Liberia are different?

[@vaimende]

@@VickieRemoe they still discriminated against the natives and I'm im mixed Liberian and Sierra Leonard and older krio people in England are very arrogant and racist

[@akindele13]

That's a big fat lie, but whatever makes you feel good.

[@vaimende]

@@akindele13 some of you krio people deny discrimination like the white British. My own auntie who was half krio mende herself was discriminated against by krio people in Freetown during the 1940s and 50s. I'm not saying its the same bow but denying tribalism is like denying racism.