Liberia’s Queen of the Stage Tokay Tomah passes on
Liberia’s “Queen of the Stage” Tokay Tomah has passed on. The recording artist and dancer passed on 14 November in the United States. She was 49 years old and is survived by a daughter and granddaughter. The cause of death is not known.
The name Tokay (meaning “stay in the house) was given to her because she was last of six children and her parent’s favourite child. As a teenager she became a member of Liberia’s national troupe after the then president and his director of culture saw her dancing. Through the troupe, she travelled around the world in the 1980s, performing in Europe, the US and a number of countries in Africa.
By 2002, she became a solo recording act, releasing Chay Chay Polay, her debut album. The album was successful and by 2012, upon the release of her last album What You Know About Me, she had recorded and released a half-dozen long playing records.
Tokay Tomah was also an activist, working with the UN during her country’s civil war which lasted 14 years. Using her music, she urged Liberian soldiers to stop fighting. She also carried out campaigns against rape, sexual exploitation, abuse and HIV/AIDS. On a panel at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in the US, she spoke about the relationship between arts and war.
Since Tomah’s death was announced, her fellow citizens have written tributes across social media, taking time to remember an artist who, during her lifetime, was rewarded and recognised with awards from Musicians Union of Liberia among other bodies.
“She will forever be remembered for her many contributions she made in bringing peace to Liberia,” said the current president of the Culture Union of Liberia Kerkula Kamara on UNMIL Radio.
"Tokay Tomah was more involved in the promotion of the Liberian culture. When we look at her works during the early days especially during the disarmament when UNMIL came to Liberia, she was one of those artistes, who were used to carry peace messages to the ex-combatants for them to disarm…It is a good thing if this country she helped to bring peace to, can give her that honour by bringing her remains home and give her a befitting interment that she deserves.”
Speaking about how Liberia treats its artists, Kamara said, “Don't only appreciate artistes when they are dead, give them their flowers when they are still alive. We need to be supportive to ours artistes let them live on the fruits of their labour.”
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