Recipient of Stockholm City Council honourable price 2006

The musician AHMADU JARR

Motivation
Ahmadu Jarr, from Sierra Leone, has worked in Sweden since 1963 and thereby world music got foothold in a country where popular music was totally dominated by national songs and western music styles. During all years Ahmadu Jarr has purposefully worked to give children knowledge of the westafrican music. At the same time he has through his own band "The highlife orchestra" reached a large grown up audience. Through collaboration with Swedish big bands, symphony orchestras and theaters Ahmadu Jarr has engrafted the Swedish music tree that now gives fruits with taste of both gooseberries and papaya.