By: Bakary Ceesay
Kalilu Banja, former secretary of the Gambia music union has accused Gambia government and National Centre for Arts and Culture has no interest in the development of the cultural sector.
Many cultural guru’s heavily criticised government lack of visions to develop a robust roadmap for the development of the arts and culture sector. With the emerging of the talents across the arts and cultural sector but many heavily lacks support and proper guidance to excel from the authorities responsible.
Banja, also a former program director of Mandingmory Foundation for performing Arts said sidelining people who have the institutional memory is what makes the Gambia music industry dormant.
Only artistes with exceptional talent will benefit and succeed in this difficult condition!!! The rest will find it very difficult to survive because the foundations to build, nurture and exploit talent are lacking institutionally.
Let’s just take an example of D50000 given to 10 Gambian artistes as COVID -19 relief fund .Where is the music union? How was the selection of those artistes conducted? Who recommended those set of artistes ? The answer could’ve have been easy if there’s a functional and operation music union.
Months ago, the social media was stormed by the dissolution of the old executive committee headed by Jaliba Kuyateh and the selection of an interim committee headed by Gee Bala Gaye.Since that process was done, Nothing majorly happened with the music union.
Panel discussions where conducted and the Director of performing arts and literature indicated the old executives overstayed so the reason for the dissolution.
However, it is important to understand the major problems facing the music union are partly based on the fact that national centre couldn’t showcase the importance of the arts sector as a national economic driver. Globally as opposed to what is happening in the Gambia, creative industries have become increasingly popular among sectors of economic growth. And one can clearly see why the Gambia government established and enacted copyright act 2004.
This legal instrument is to help register, administer and remenurate copyright works. It is very sad to know that many of the actors in the industry don’t value or understand anything about this legal tool. The centre also failed the industry by not supporting the institutionalization of arts organization’s.
The association are set up but , lack the financial muscles to operate. The centre could’ve advocated that government invest in these business to attract revenue by setting industry standards.
The collecting society of the Gambia (CSG) Which comprises of arts organization’s was established to serve that purpose. And is important to note that CSG is was set by an act of parliament. Why one earth after several years, an executive Director and staff aren’t appointed to do the work of the CSG. This is clearly evidenced that the government and the NCAC have no interest in the cultural sector.
It is now the role of the cultural actors particularly musicians /Artistes to claim their share of the national cake .The best way to claim I will suggest is to institutionalize the industry. The arts association all need functional and operational secretariat to do their day to day routine work.
Meaning they need both human, material and financial resources to achieve their goals and targets. performance, tours, commercials, advertisements and merchandising etc…….All can be beneficial when directed by sound legal and administrative processes. #ARTISTESSTANDBYYOURUNION!!!S#SUPPORTYOURINDUSTRY UPPORTYOURINDUSTRY
#HOLDYOURGOVERNMENETACCOUNTABLE.