Blind Africans Sing to Survive

Tom Banse
01/26/2005

Parishioners, school students, and festivalgoers around the Northwest are being roused to their feet through song from six blind men. They're Liberian refugees who emerged from war and poverty in their African homeland by singing. They're still singing after receiving political asylum from the United States and settling in Vancouver, Washington. Correspondent Tom Banse has this profile.

SOUND: ["Praise God, Hallelujah" rendition]

AN UNCOMMON SIGHT - SEEING A WHITE LUTHERAN MINISTER BOOGYING IN FRONT OF HER OAK HARBOR CONGREGATION. BUT THEN THE INFECTIOUS RHYTHMS FROM THE GUEST CHOIR ARE UNCOMMON, TOO.

SOUND: [music]

THIS IS THE AFRICAN GOSPEL ACAPPELLA. THEY TOUR NORTHWEST CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND FESTIVALS, MAKING ABOUT 100 APPEARANCES A YEAR. THE SIX MEN, ALL IN THEIR TWENTIES OR THIRTIES, PERFORM IN SUNGLASSES, AFRICAN SHIRTS AND MATCHING BLACK PANTS. THEY'RE A VERY LONG WAY FROM WHAT USED TO BE HOME - STRIFE TORN LIBERIA IN WEST AFRICA.

SOUND: [music]

THE MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP MET AS BOYS IN THE CHOIR AT LIBERIA'S ONE AND ONLY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND. WHEN CIVIL WAR BROKE OUT IN 1989, THE BOARDING SCHOOL WAS RANSACKED. THE STUDENTS SCATTERED INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE. MORRIS KERMON HAD TO CHANGE HIS NAME TO AVOID DEATH SQUADS.

KERMON: "I had to change my name from N___ to Morris. That is why you see Morris today because they were trying to kill people from that tribe."

LASANA KANNEH PLEADED FOR HIS LIFE AT REBEL GUNPOINT.

KANNEH: "I was threatened to be killed. I had to get on my knees and beg."

THE SCHOOL FRIENDS EVENTUALLY DRIFTED BACK TO THE CAPITAL CITY. THEY SUNG ON STREET CORNERS AND IN CHURCHES TO SURVIVE.

KANNEH: "Then we said, now we're all here. We need to form a group. We don't want to just sit around."

LASANA KANNEH SAYS THEIR FIRST GOSPEL CHOIR WAS CALLED "ECHOES OF THE BLIND." KANNEH, THE LEAD VOCALIST, WROTE A SONG BASED ON A BIBLE STORY ABOUT A CORRUPT TAX COLLECTOR WHO REPENTS. IT HAD A MESSAGE FOR THE LOOTERS AND FIGHTERS STILL AFOOT.

MUSIC: [Song: "Zacheous"] Lasana: "We were trying to get a message to the fighters - people in the military. No matter what you have done, if you repent you can be forgiven."

IN 1998, AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN GROUP BROUGHT SIX OF THE BLIND MEN TO THE UNITED STATES FOR A SINGING TOUR. DURING THIS TOUR THEY CONNECTED WITH A SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON WOMAN WHO'D PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED FOUR LIBERIAN ORPHANS. KARALIE PEHLKE...

PEHLKE: "Everytime they came through the Northwest, I would meet up with them because my son lived with them in Liberia. So they would just keep meeting me. Then when that tour ended they said, 'Hey, can we move out here. I said, 'Ok.' They all moved into my mobile home. We had 12 people living there for a year."

PEHLKE HELPED THE SIX BLIND MEN APPLY FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM, WHICH THE U-S GRANTED. NOW SHE BOOKS THEIR CONCERTS, DRIVES THEIR BUS, ENGINEERS THE SOUND, AND MANAGES THE FINANCES.

SOUND OF CONCERT: [intro and song beginning]

AS THEY DID IN LIBERIA, THE SIX BLIND MEN STILL SING TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES. FIVE OF THE SIX HAVE ENROLLED AT CLARK COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN VANCOUVER AS WELL. THEY'RE SENDING MONEY BACK TO LIBERIA. SOME PAYS FOR FOOD AT THEIR OLD SCHOOL. SOME GOES TOWARD BUILDING A JOB TRAINING CENTER FOR THE DISABLED… ESPECIALLY NEEDED IN A COUNTRY WHERE THERE ARE FEW SERVICES, OPPORTUNITIES OR RESPECT. KARALIE PEHLKE SAYS THE BLIND MEN CAN'T RETURN HOME THEMSELVES.

PEHLKE: "They can't go back. I mean, they have political asylum. Couldn't come [back home]. But there's no reason to. They can do more for the disabled doing exactly what they're doing here."

THE A CAPPELLA GROUP SINGS IN ENGLISH AND SEVERAL LIBERIAN DIALECTS. THEY HAVE TWO NEW ALBUMS SCHEDULED FOR RELEASE THIS YEAR. GROUP MEMBERS SAY THEIR MUSICAL HARMONIES ARE GETTING MORE SOPHISTICATED THE LONGER THEY STAY IN THE U-S AND HEAR NEW SOUNDS. I'M TOM BANSE REPORTING.

MUSIC: "Thank You Jesus For Saving Our Lives"