President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has spoken of his impression of the Senegalese Mbalax musician, Alioune Mbye Nder, describing him as a ‘true friend’ of The Gambia.

Dr Jammeh made this remark at the Cabinet room in State House, when the musician paid a courtesy call on him, accompanied by board members of the Jammeh Foundation for Peace JFP, after thrilling Gambians over the weekend as part of a fundraising gala and show.

According to The Gambian leader, Mbye Nder’s offer to perform for the Foundation without charge is a clear manifestation of his love for The Gambia. He added that the Senegalese musician was exceptional because he put humanity above money. "He has performed satisfactorily and Gambians are grateful," the president said of Mr Nder.

And he went on to say that despite the musician’s gesture, the foundation thought it prudent to give him something as a compliment. He then assured the musician of his support in reciprocation of his good gesture.

Speaking earlier, Fatou Lamin Faye, secretary of state for Basic and Secondary Education, said Mbye Nder had earlier on expressed his intention to associate himself with the activities of President Jammeh, disclosing that she had received a telephone call from the musician offering to take part in the July 22 Beauty Pageant, when he had learnt that it was an initiative of the Gambian leader. But due to time constraints, SoS Faye said, that was not possible.

She assured the musician that his name will be indelible in the history of the Foundation, which she described as a body providing worthwhile services to the populace, thus justifying any association with it.

Ardy Sarge, a board member of the foundation, disclosed that from 2005 to date, they have distributed over D17M to 58 organisations through the proceeds realised from Banjul - Amsterdam Challenge. He added that the Foundation has spent over D4m in educational fees alone for Gambians, locally and overseas.

Commenting on the rationale behind the fundraising, Mr Sarge expressed their desire to reduce the burden on the president who, according to him, provides 90% of the funds of the Foundation.

Mr Mbaye Nder himself was quite delighted to be part of the whole initiative. This he said in no uncertain terms, informing the gathering that he would like the president to adopt him as a younger brother because the president has all the qualities it takes to make a role model. He said he was honoured to be associated with the Foundation, emphasising that their stance was a noble one. He also sought the president’s blessing and prayers for in the run-up to the upcoming Kora awards to be held in South Africa, in which he (Nder) will be participating. The winning prize for that award stands at 1 million dollar.

Bai Matarr Drammeh, also a board member and vice chairman of the fundraising committee, disclosed that they had decided to give 10M CFA to Mbye Nder, to reciprocate his goodwill gesture. He thanked Africell, the Mauritanian community and all those who made the fundraising a success.

Present at the ceremony were secretaries of state and the secretary to Cabinet, Abdoulie Sallah.

Lovelines

I am a keen reader of Lovelines, please allow me to express myself for a possible solution. I met a guy who lives close by me and I was talking to him on the internet for over one year before I finally met him.

I was a virgin and didn’t meet him for the fun but at the heat of the moment,something happened. I have spoken to him since then, but he is not the same person I used to know, he just keeps telling me that he has lot of problems. The dilema is, I am falling for him because he is my first, I feel so lonely. Please tell me what is going on with him, have I done anything wrong?

Sheila

This may be hard to take in, but you have to take heart and move on with your life. You deserve WAY better but it can happen to anyone. I know it’s hard because he was your first, but you should never settle for less and cheap things rather than  the best, you deserve a guy who will never leave you, or hurt you on purpose.

A guy who will always be there for you, and will always love you, no matter what you say or do. If you’re looking for that special guy, you will definitely find him but if you don’t let go of your feelings about him, you will regret it later. Have some self confidence.

There are plenty of fish in the ocean. If a vehicle doesn’t go to Basse remember, others will go. Be Miss Independent and have the guys coming after you. Not the other way around. Well, good luck, I know it’s hard but you will get through this, just give time a chance. In every life we have some troubles but when you worry you make it double. According to the popular musician, Simon Paul, "don’t worry, be happy" and if your happiness lies with this guy, he will come back, if it’s meant to be, it would happen. If not, then he wasn’t the one. I say move on and today you can start your day off with a smile on your face, go out with some of your friends and get to know other guys and have fun. Life is too short to be depressed! Good luck!

The much awaited and talked about programme of the year,July 22 special cultural night otherwise call weekend Magnyi ‘’mean weekend for the elderly"’ scheduled to take place from the 25th to the 27th July 2008, will exclusively feature the famous cultural mix Salza Senegalese musician of our time,"Super Cayor’’, alongside other talented and sprouting Gambian artist.

According to the organisers of this rare  cultural jamboree night,the guest artist will  arrive in  Banjul early next week and he will stage his  first performance on the 25th July at the prestigious Jama Hall, Kairaba Beach Hotel. The rest would be  stage at the newly established first class cultural entertainment hub, ‘’Milly"s night club’’ in Senegambia from 26 to 27th July.

The dispatched information revealed that, Honorable speaker of the National Assembly Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay, is the Chief guest of honor. The released further noted that, invitations are extended to many senior dignitaries in both Government and private sector.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.

He was ranked at number 46 in a list of the top 100 most influential musicians compiled by HMV.

Fela was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria to a middle-class family. His mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was a feminist active in the anti-colonial movement and his father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a Protestant minister and school Principal, was the first president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers. His brothers, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, were both well known in Nigeria.

Fela was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there, he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a style of music that he would later call Afrobeat.

The style was a fusion of American Jazz and Funk with West African Highlife. In 1961, Fela married his first wife, Remilekun (Remi) Taylor, with whom he would have three children (Femi, Yeni and Sola). In 1963, Fela moved back to Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1969, Fela took the band to the United States.

While there, Fela discovered the black power movement through Sandra Smith(now Isidore) -- a partisan of the Black Panther Party--which would heavily influence his music and political views and renamed the band "Nigeria 70". Soon, the Immigration and Naturalization Service were tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band then performed a quick recording session in Los Angeles, which would later be released as "The '69 Los Angeles Sessions".

Fela and his band, renamed "Africa '70" returned to Nigeria. He then formed the Kalakuta Republic, a commune, a recording studio and a home for many connected to the band which he later declared independent from the Nigerian state.

Fela set up a nightclub in the Empire Hotel, named the Afro-Spot and then the Afrika Shrine, where he performed regularly. Fela also changed his middle name to "Anikulapo" (meaning "he who carries death in his pouch")[3], stating that his original middle name of Ransome was a slave name.

The recordings continued, and the music became more politically motivated. Fela's music became very popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general. In fact, he made the decision to sing in Pidgin English so that his music could be enjoyed by individuals all over Africa, where the local languages spoken are very diverse and numerous. As popular as Fela's music had become in Nigeria and elsewhere, it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. In 1974 the police arrived with a search warrant and a cannabis joint, which they had intended to plant on Fela.

He became wise to this and swallowed the joint. In response, the police took him into custody and waited to examine his feces. Fela enlisted the help of his prison mates and gave the police someone else's feces, and Fela was freed. He then recounted this tale in his release Expensive Shit.

In 1977 Fela and the Afrika 70 released the hit album Zombie, a scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the "zombie" metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military.

The album was a smash hit with the people and infuriated the government, setting off a vicious attack against the Kalakuta Republic, during which one thousand soldiers attacked the commune. Fela was severely beaten, and his elderly mother was thrown from a window, causing fatal injuries. The Kalakuta Republic was burned, and Fela's studio, instruments, and master tapes were destroyed. Fela claimed that he would have been killed if it were not for the intervention of a commanding officer as he was being beaten. Fela's response to the attack was to deliver his mother's coffin to the main army barrack in Lagos and write two songs, "Coffin for Head of State" and "Unknown Soldier," referencing the official inquiry which claimed the commune had been destroyed by an unknown soldier.

Fela and his band then took residence in Crossroads Hotel as the Shrine had been destroyed along with his commune. In 1978 Fela married twenty seven women, many of whom were his dancers,composers and singers to mark the anniversary of the attack on the Kalakuta Republic. Later, he was to adopt a rotation system of keeping only twelve simultaneous wives.

The year was also marked by two notorious concerts, the first in Accra in which riots broke out during the song "Zombie" which led to Fela being banned from entering Ghana. The second was at the Berlin Jazz Festival after which most of Fela's musicians deserted him, due to rumors that Fela was planning to use the entirety of the proceeds to fund his presidential campaign.

Despite the massive setbacks, Fela was determined to come back. He formed his own political party, which he called "Movement of the People". In 1979 he put himself forward for President in Nigeria's first elections for more than a decade but his candidature was refused.

At this time, Fela created a new band called "Egypt 80" and continued to record albums and tour the country. He further infuriated the political establishment by dropping the names of ITT vice-president Moshood Abiola and then General Olusegun Obasanjo at the end of a hot-selling 25-minute political screed entitled "I.T.T.(International Thief Thief)".

In 1984 he was again attacked by the Military government, who jailed him on a dubious charge of currency smuggling. His case was taken up by several human-rights groups, and after twenty months, he was released from prison by General Ibrahim Babangida. On his release he divorced his twelve remaining wives, saying that "marriage brings jealousy and selfishness".

Once again, Fela continued to release albums with Egypt 80, made a number of successful tours of the United States and Europe and also continued to be politically active. In 1986, Fela performed in Giants Stadium in New Jersey as part of the Amnesty International "Conspiracy of Hope" concert, sharing the bill with Bono, Carlos Santana, and The Neville Brothers. In 1989, Fela & Egypt 80 released the anti-apartheid "Beasts of No Nation" album which depicts on its cover U.S. President Ronald Reagan, U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha with fangs dripping blood.

His album output slowed in the 1990s, and eventually he stopped releasing albums altogether. The battle against military corruption in Nigeria was taking its toll, especially during the rise of dictator Sani Abacha. Rumors were also spreading that he was suffering from an illness for which he was refusing treatment.

On August 3, 1997 Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, already a prominent AIDS activist and former Minister of Health, stunned the nation by announcing his younger brother's death a day earlier from Kaposi's sarcoma brought on by AIDS. (Their younger brother, Beko, was in jail at this time at the hand of Abacha for political activity). More than a million people attended Fela's funeral at the site of the old Shrine compound. A new Africa Shrine has opened since Fela's death in a different section of Lagos under the supervision of his son Femi Kuti.

Music

The musical style performed by Fela Kuti is called Afrobeat, which is essentially a fusion of jazz, funk and Traditional African Chant. It is characterized by having African style percussion, vocals, and musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections. The "endless groove" is also used, in which a base rhythm of drums, muted guitar, and bass guitar are repeated throughout the song.

This is a common technique in African and African-influenced musical styles, and can be seen in funk and hip-hop. Some elements often present in Fela's music are the call-and-response with the chorus and figurative but simple lyrics. Fela's songs were almost always over ten minutes in length, some reaching the twenty or even thirty minute marks.

This was one of many reasons that his music never reached a substantial degree of popularity outside of Africa. His songs were mostly sung in Nigerian pidgin, although he also performed a few songs in the Yoruba language. Fela's main instruments were the saxophone and the keyboards but he also played the trumpet, guitar and made the occasional drum solo. Fela refused to perform songs again after he had already recorded them, which also hindered his popularity outside Africa. Fela was known for his showmanship, and his concerts were often quite outlandish and wild. He refered to his stage act as his "underground spiritual game".

Political views

The American Black Power movement influenced Fela's political views. He was also a supporter of Pan-Africanism and socialism and has called for a united, democratic African republic. He was a fierce supporter of human rights, and many of his songs are direct attacks against dictatorships, specifically the militaristic governments of Nigeria in the 1970s and 1980s. He was also a social commentator, and criticized his fellow Africans (especially the upper class) for betraying traditional African culture.

The African culture he believed in also included having many wives (polygyny) and the Kalakuta Republic was formed in part as a polygamist colony. He defended his stance on polygyny with the words; "A man goes for many women in the first place. Like in Europe, when a man is married, when the wife is sleeping, he goes out and fucks around.

He should bring the women in the house, man, to live with him, and stop running around the streets!". His views towards women are characterised by some as misogynist, with songs like "Mattress" typically cited as evidence. However, he also extolls African womanhood in his song "Lady", singing "Lady na (is) master". It should be noted though that Fela was very open when it came to sex, as he portrayed in some of his songs, like "Open and Close" and "Na Poi".

A UK-based Gambian musician cum producer, Omsla Baru, will today leave Banjul for Dakar as part of his continued efforts to promote his album, One Step.

One Step is a ten-track album produced in the UK sometime in August of last year and Omsla had been here to promote the album in The Gambia through a mass media campaign.

Speaking to The Point in an exclusive interview at our

#2 Garba Jahumpa Road

offices, the UK-based artist explained that he would return to the UK this Friday after two weeks of promotional campaign in The Gambia.

According to him, the level of the popularity of the album in the UK is ‘quite high,’ adding that it is selling well.

“The album is quite popular not only among Gambians but even non-Gambians. People appreciate it because it is like an African doing Reggae. It is on the shelves of many record labels in The UK and I have already concluded arrangements with Kerewan Sounds to serve as a source of distribution for the album. Legal Sounds in Serekunda are also willing to distribute the album,” disclosed Omslo with delight.

It will be recalled that Omslo was here in The Gambia to promote his album in the first ever talent awards held in the country last March. He has also joined forces with the famous Gambian kora maestro Jaliba Kuyateh in a campaign against malaria in the UK and during the period the duo recorded a single entitled “Don’t Give Up.” This single is now featured on the new album. Meanwhile, the new album can be procured on-line by visiting www.omslabaru.com.    

The Gambian Mbalax experience, Mbye Gaye will release his fifth album today Thursday, 27thMarch 2008. The name of the album is Santa Yalla and it will be on sale in Kerewan Sound recording studio in Banjul, Bambo recording studio in Serekunda, VP recording studio and other recording studios in the country.

In an interview with The Point, the Banjul based Musician described the album as the number one talk in town, noting that the album will available in many formats including CD, DVD and Cassette.

According to him, the launch of the album is scheduled to take place on the 26thApril 2008 at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul.

Touching on the sponsorship of his album, Mbye Gaye thanked President Jammeh for sponsoring the album. He described President Jammeh as somebody who always takes the responsibility of promoting The Gambia’s musicians. He calls on every Gambian to visit the studios.

The Gambia’s Music legend , Abdel Kabir and his Soto Koto Band is set  to embark on a promotional tour of  Europe and America .

The  tour  which is expected to start  on February 16 2008 at  LVC Leiden, the Paard in the Hague and Amsterdam. will cover Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Norway among other destinations

CD Gumbay dance

The world acclaimed CD Gumbay dance was produced in America by a renowned Gambian Music producer, Oko Drammeh. The CD is distributed by Virgin Music Group worldwide. The CD is successful in Europe and America and sold in all major recording studios in London,Paris,New York, and have reached the Billboard top 10 world music charts. It is a regular feature on America cable radio and in airplaine.

The Gumbay dance CD is a promotional tool to raise awareness about the advance stage of Gambian music and the cultural diversity in The Gambia blended with African culture, an influence from the Carribean, in the United States.

The Band will be in USA in May this year until September. They are also expected to play on Labour Day before returning to the The Gambia.

According to Oko Drammeh, the tour is important for Gambian music because if one artist embark on it, he or she will open doors for other to follow .

“We have to go internationally to develop and to advance the trend and moods and also in technology. The tour is also good to raise the confidence and to be challenging with dynamic experience for world stage shows. The  Gambian songs of on this CD played by famous musician like Micheal Jacksons Band Horn-Section, Musician from Jazz Legend, Quincy Jones, Stanley Clark and the famous backing vocalists for Marvin Gaye and Micheal Jackson’s Leone Ware.

The CD is a musical combination of funk, blues and Jazz and rhythms of The Gambia.

Tour:

Europe                                        Discography                               Hit tunes

Europe                                        Motherland Dearest                    Bamba Bojang

USA                                            Takunder                                   Kelefa

Canada                                        Gumbay Dance                          Dinki RA

Amstedan                                     Gelewarr                                   Njie-O-Njie

Japan         

For more information log on www.okodrammeh.com

A recent meeting, of a Mexican lady and an international music star in Germany, has culminated in a visit to The Gambia by the renowned music icon.

It was at a gala dinner where Leticia Abraham, a Mexican lady, met Magnet Man, the Unicef ambassador for Children based in Bremen and when Leticia briefed him about some of the life-changing projects she was embarking on in The Gambia he became inspired and promised to do something.

By the way, Leticia is involved in a school project in Jurungu village where many inhabitants live on less than a dollar a day. Now, Magnet Man, who has donated a song to Unicef to create awareness on child welfare issues, will also chip in with the project through Schools for Africa, an initiative of Peter Kremen, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Unicef.

“The main reason for our visit here is to extend humanitarian assistance to the children of Jurungu village in Niumi. During our visit, we distributed learning materials to the school children in the village and also took film footage of life in Jurungu so as to increase the level of external awareness about the settlement. This documentary will be used to drum up support for the children of the village,” said Magnet Man in an exclusive interview with Entertainment.

“This trip has mainly been about needs assessment but we will come back in few months’ time. Jurungu needs a proper ambulance. The village has three football teams but no good ball. It would be nice if the village had a health post along with many other developments.”

Magnet Man, who would be embarking on an intensive three-year campaign for UNICEF aimed at raising awareness of child welfare concerns with the watchword Make A Difference, was accompanied to The Gambia by his wife and his mother-in-law.