It was during the earlier 1970 when most present days Liberian artists including the writer of this story were still sucking on their mama breast when superstar singer, song writer and recording artist, Nimba Burr took the stage to welcome the Godfather of soul music, James Brown in Monrovia. “Oh my goodness it was something to see. It was a great honor,” Nimba recounted recently in an interview with the Star.
After the show, little Nimba shook hands with James Brown and President William Tolbert at the former E.J Roy Building in Monrovia. It was far before the performance at the James Brown show in Monrovia, when a little angel with an unusual appealing voice and potential was discovered in Nimba County, where she was born. As a little girl and even as a mother now, she still has that melodious voice that makes you fall asleep.
Born in Nimba County, where crickets crick at night, birds sing in melody in the morning, and people gather to sing when the moon shines, it is this great harmony she wanted to share at an earlier age; the tranquility of music.
Thinking about the 70s, that will seem a long time ago considering were most musicians of those day are nowadays. Obviously some are dead now and those alive are nowhere near music.
Away from home for more than fifteen years due to the civil war, Nimba Burr has an inner urge to return to her root as musician. “I tried everything but I realized that I thought it would take me away from music but nothing works,” she said.
Recently, Nimba undertook a project in collaboration with her own son, Jesse, a man of unconquerable musical talents to lunch a new album. But back then, “It was mostly traditional music, highlife mix with African” Nimba said
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Music has always has its own sensation in Liberian culture but with lots of cynicism about people who called themselves musicians especially back in the 70's when Liberian life was dominated by American pop music and culture.
Nimba shared stage with great Liberian musicians like Yata Zoe, Miatta Fahnbulleh, Morris Dolley, Tecumsey Roberts and Hawa Daisy Moore. At the time, the musical scene didn’t have the sense of self glorification as it is with most modern Liberia musicians, the of Sundaygar Dearboy who negotiated his own career.
Back then, musicians were like national trophies in a sense but "I was little but I was powerful. It was mostly traditional music, highlife mix with African, Morris Dolley, Tecumsay Robert, Miatta Fahnbullah, Hawa Desimore, Yata Zoe. It was like a grass root music. We enjoy not so much about the money the way crowd used to response to us when we used to perform at the E J. Roye."
At age 5, Nimba Burr, was gifted with a talent unusual of girls of her age. Burr said there is a demand from "my fans that want to see me back on the stage. I have been through lots of problems until I finally decided to do something for my family."
