By Yunus S Saliu
The acting Director General of National Centre for Arts and Culture paying tribute to the late gewel, Abdoulie Efry Mbye has described him as an ‘invaluable cultural asset.’ The late gewel/griot passed away on Monday night but since buried Tuesday June 12th at the Jeshwang Cemetry.
The Hassoum Ceesay an historian who is also a researcher said Abdoulie Efry Mbye – AKA ‘Everybody Mbye’ was born to a gewel family and his mother Madi Samba Njie was one of the great Gambia singers and music composers who used to sing for the late politician, Pierre Njie of the United Party.
Further commenting on Efry Mbye, DG Hassoum said he’s one of the great Gambia griots/gewels – traditional communicator endowed with cultural knowledge and he understood a lot about Gambia folklore, Gambia genealogy, history and culture of The Gambia.
He added that late Efry Mbye did all he could to popularize, revitalize, conserve and preserve the tradition of griot/gewel on radios, television, in public events by doing both works of gewel and sang praise people wherever it was due.
On behalf of National Centre for Arts and Culture, Gambia historians and artistic fraternity he sent his condolence to the entire bereaved family of late Abdoulie Efry Mbye who he said has really done a lot to promote Gambia history and culture throughout his life time.”