**(Intro)**
(Heavy, slow, roots-reggae heartbeat rhythm drops)
(Deep, thunderous bassline pulsing... *boom-doom, boom-doom*)
(Piercing brass section sounds a triumphant, mournful horn call)
(Burning Spear-style chanting, deep and resonant):
Hoo-yah... People... remember your roots.
Do you remember the days of old?
Do you remember the warrior bloodline?
Mende people... stand tall.
Kailahun... look back at the foundation.
Chant it, now... chant them down.
**(Verse 1)**
Born in Kailahun... yes, where the Court Barry stands.
In the Eastern Province... heart of the ancient lands.
Roots deep... so deep in the Mende ground,
From the Mali Empire, where the true kings were found.
Led by Empress Queen Massarico... she was courageous and bold.
They marched to Cape Mount... a story to be told.
Then trod back to Sierra Leone, under Yaku Gbongo’s name...
The mystical warrior... no man could tame!
He could vanish in the wind, vanish at will,
While the ancestors fought the wars, standing on the hill.
Conquered Dea Chiefdom... made the borders their own,
Stood tall in eighteen-ninety-six... against the colonial throne!
Oh, yes... the Gaima Royal lineage... standing for a century.
Paramount Chiefs... keeping the people free.
**(Chorus)**
(Horns flare high and sharp, backing vocalists chanting in harmony)
Lions in the kingdom! Engineer Mohamed Gaima!
A pillar of strength... a bright, shining light!
Mining engineer... administrator of the land,
Protecting the wealth... with a righteous hand.
Roots rock reggae for the brilliant mind,
One of the greatest engineers... that you will ever find.
Gaima... oh, Gaima... a true lion in the kingdom.
**(Verse 2)**
(Bass drops lower, bubbling organ gets heavy and hypnotic)
When the rebel war raged... the young lion had to flee.
Running through the wilderness... preserving history.
To Ngoahun Refugee School... deep in Guinea’s embrace,
Keeping the knowledge... keeping the pace.
Then he trod back to Freetown... St. Edward’s at May Park.
To the Sierra Leone Grammar School... where he left a mighty mark!
Excelled in the wisdom... then he walked the holy way,
To the Athens of West Africa... the great Fourah Bay!
First university south of the Sahara plain,
Where the envy of the weak mind... could never stain.
**(Chorus)**
(Heavy horn section blast)
Lions in the kingdom! Engineer Mohamed Gaima!
A pillar of strength... a bright, shining light!
Mining engineer... administrator of the land,
Protecting the wealth... with a righteous hand.
Roots rock reggae for the brilliant mind,
One of the greatest engineers... that you will ever find.
**(Bridge)**
(Music strips down to just the thumping drum and bass, Spear talks directly to the listener)
Look at the journey, people.
He never stopped. He kept trodding.
To Njala University... for the MBA.
Mastering Project Management... along the way.
Then he crossed the deep blue seas... to Ukraine he did fly,
To get his specialist masters... touching the sky!
Masters in mining engineering... burning in his brain,
He returned to Mama Salone... to stop the brain drain!
At the Ministry of Mines... the lion began to advise.
At the National Minerals Agency... see him rise, see him rise!
Regional Mining Manager... North, South, East, and West,
Speaking for the communities... giving them his best.
**(Verse 3)**
(Full band kicks back in with maximum intensity, horns blazing)
Maximizing the revenue... enforcing compliance with care.
In the fields, in the trenches... he was everywhere!
An urban planner... mapping out the street.
Working on the infrastructure... making it complete.
An international researcher... a lecturer with fame.
At the Eastern Technical University... they call his name!
Teaching the youth... passing on the bright flame.
Engineer Mohamed Gaima... playing a righteous game.
No compromise. No sell out.
**(Outro)**
(Music begins its slow, hypnotic groove, fading out piece by piece)
Yes, Brother Gaima... we chant your song today.
A true son of Kailahun... leading the way.
From the refugee camps... to the lecturer's hall.
An inspiration to the nation... standing so tall.
Lions in the kingdom... let the music play.
For the great engineer... guide him on his way.
Jah guide... Jah protect.
Gaima... the lion...
(Fading brass note)
Peace... and love.