With MUHAMMED S. BAH
Welcome to another Edition of the Arts and Culture, the Column that seeks to promote Arts, Music and Culture in the Gambia. In this edition we feature the upcoming Gam DJ Awards and ST’s Foundation launching.
Friends Planet Entertainment (FPE) in collaboration with the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) as the facilitators, will organise the first edition of Gam DJ Awards.
The NCAC on 13th March 2019, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FPE the NCAC’s main office in Banjul.
Acting Director General of the NCAC Hassoum Ceesay, said his Council is willing to support and partner with FPE on this great initiative.
Ceesay said the NCAC shall facilitate and guide FPE on the documentation and program of activities of the event as a national cultural development; that the parties shall partner to implement activities targeted in the interest of Gambian culture and entertainment, and that the MOU serves to specify the roles and obligations of the two institutions towards the realization of the event. Ceesay further disclose that the MOU shall cover a period of three years starting from the signatory date and can be renewed by mutual consent, conditional of the absence of disputes and the achievement of satisfactory results to both parties.
The CEO of FPE Mamour M Mbenga alias Kiffa Barham, shed light on the project. On his part, Mbenga said the main goal of the Gam DJ Awards is to engage youth to realize their potentials in the country, before venturing into illegal migration; that the backbone of this project is to save lives. Mbenga who is known in the music industry as a prominent event planner, disclosed the importance of the event. ‘‘The platform will bring DJ’s together under one umbrella, to make sure they work as a team, to tackle challenges within their work environment,’’ he said; that the Award will be organized annually in a partnership with various stakeholders to make it successful.
The Manager of FPE Ousainou Mboob, said that the board will nominate various DJ’s that work within the media fraternity, including club DJ’s and Newcomers; that the board will recognize and honour life time achievements of veteran DJ’s who have contributed immensely to the development of the entertainment industry.
Mboob said the ceremony will be a nationwide project that will include various DJ’s across the seven regions within the country; that the preparation of the project started since last year October and is expected to take place at the end of 2019.
