Shaka Ssali: The voice that bridged a continent

About two years ago, a former student of mine at the International Institute of Journalism, Abuja, reached out to me to link her up with Shaka Ssali, whose voice through the years had become emblematic of the African Service of the Voice of America (VOA).

Apparently, she had seen my social media post in late 2019, when I met the baritone-gifted Ssali during a visit to the Washington Studios of VOA. It was a memory laden moment as both Ssali and I, shared what we knew of each other…