Music and Entertainment with Kebba Camara
Mighty Joe is ready to launch double album again at the Alliance Francaise
come November 8.
This is the second time the young artist would be launching double albums in one night.
How ready are you for the double album launching in November?
First of all I want to thank the Almighty Allah for enabling me to prepare for the launching of another album in my career call the ‘’ REPLAY’. I will also like to thank my fans who have been supporting me up to today. The launching ceremony is what people are talking about, the album launching looks bright already. I have been working very hard during the past two years to launch this album. Thank God that both the audio and DVD is ready; we are only waiting for November 8 for me to entertain the public and the fans.
This time is two launchings, Alliance and Brikama Jokor, what is responsible for that?
This is because I am born and bred in Brikama, but now based in Kololi. So I want to satisfy both ends, I will stage a concert for my fans that live around Kololi, Serrekunda and the surroundings, while on the 15 of November, I will perform for my home town Brikama.
Which studios were you working with, especially in producing the songs “Replay and Bul D Joy?”
I was working with Singhateh Pack Music. Replay is really a successful song and the idea behind that song is to bring the two fans basednamely, Manding Empire and Tsunami Foundation together.
How many songs should we expect in your album?
Ten songs, and almost half of the tracks in the album have been released for promotion, people are familiar with most of the songs in the album already.
Which Band is going to back you on stage ?
I am going to invite a new band and that will be a surprise to the fans. During the last launching of my album, I was backed on stage by Humanity Stars and this time it will be a new band. I will introduce some new things in my launching.
You are not under any label, is it going to cost you alot of money to launch the album?
LOL yes you can say that again, it has cost me alot of money to do this launching. I did not spend a lot of money when I was launching my last album, but this one I am preparing for, is becoming very expensive. The cost of the venue has doubled coupled with expenses I may not necessarily mention, it’s really expensive.
Did you make any attempts to seek for sponsors for the launching?
Yes as always, but no response yet from the companies I approached for help. But that will not stop me, I will try hard to put in every resource I have. Sometimes if you want to wait for companies to respond to your request, it can delay your projects. But to be frank with you, I have approached few companies.
Are you having hope that this time around too you will fill Alliance Francaise to capacity?
I worked hard my brother to record good songs and videos for the fans; I want to believe that it will pay off. By the grace of God, the crowd I am expecting will be bigger than the one that attended the launching in 2012.
What will assure people that they will not regret coming to the show?
I am going to satisfy them. My T shirts will be distributed for free and both the audio and DVD of the album will be on sale. What else will you need? Ha ha.
What is the relationship between you and the Children at SOS?
They are my people; don’t forget that that’s the school I attended, so anything that has to do with Mighty Joe, they take it as seriously. They always appear in my event and patronize me to the fullest. Am in touch with the administration of the school and as usual they are willing to support me.
What is the next project that Mighty Joe will embark on after the album launching ceremony?
Good songs will be released, I will perform shows and my biggest target after my album launching is to see what is happening in the international world when it comes to music. Remember, we should not just do music only in the Gambia and think that’s all. We should explore and expand to see what our colleagues are doing, we should sometimes think out of the “Gambian box.”
What is the relationship between you and other Gambian artists?
I have a very good relationship with my co artists. May be there is conflict between others, but for me, I have a cordial relationship with every artist. My advice to them will be let us be business minded when it comes to our music, sing conscious lyrics for the fans rather than have issues amongst ourselves.
Were you in the front line crew?
Yes I was there.
All of you guys left the front line crew. What happened?
Well for my part really there was no problem at all, in fact I still call myself a “frontliner.” I was in the frontline crew until when I was signed by Music O label. I was not allowed to be under any group when I signed the deal with Music O. Benjamin and other strong Front line members would be at the launching of my album.
What is your take on artist signing record deals, some even given accommodations and free recording facility?
Every contract depends on what the two parties agree on. My advice will be if any artist feels you can do your things without any record label, why should you sign a deal with a record label? But in the other way, if you can’t manage yourself and your music, then being under a label would be a good idea.
You already spent lot of money on producing videos and on the preparation for the launching, what keep you going? You never turn back?
It’s true I will say again that it’s really expensive and the sad thing is we produce expensive videos and give them out for the TV to them promote for free, we are not paid royalties. Well it is business, produce the videos and the songs and may be if you are lucky to have a good crowd during the launching, you can recover what you spent. I will never turn back as far as I have fans who look up to my music, I will never let them down.
You always talk about Smile Free Records, who are they?
They are in the UK. They are thinking to have a recording studio in the Gambia. It’s a link between me and a group in the UK.
Bul D Joy is a hit, tell us something about that song.
It does not mean the song it’s about me, but about some people around me. It’s a love song and focuses on distance relationship. Bul D Joy is a Wolof word meaning “don’t cry.” But in a nut shell the song is about distance relationship.
Who is the Girl in the video of the Bul D Joy?
The girl I invited in the video is a model. I contacted a model Agency who gave me that girl to do the video of that song with me, her name is Isatou.
Mighty Joe do you have any support from the office of the president?
Well I want that one to be confidential; I don’t want to talk about that. But I want to say a big thanks to the office of the president for supporting Mighty Joe and my music.
Two months now before November, what are you engaged on before the launching?
I will soon start rehearsing with the band. I will be busy going for radio interviews from one radio to another. I will also be busy trying to figure out things that will make the launching more successful.]]>
