By Bakary Ceesay
On a new song titled ‘Gambiano Labaluwo’, Gambian hip hop act and producer Omid Wisdom has a simple message for duty bearers in his country: the lives of the citizens matter.
Released on Gambian label Money Empire in early October, the single tackles critical subject matter pertaining to the fate of the country, including the direction of its politics and the well-being of the citizens.
“Our country faces challenges – corruption, high maternity deaths and illegal fishing key among them,” Omid Wisdom told The Voice Vibes. “This is the reason I came up with this song: to tell the authorities that Gambian lives matter and that people deserve better than they are currently facing.
To craft the song, he called on colleagues Og Log, Sparklyn Black, Hussain Dada and Big Faa, and together they composed what Omid hopes will provoke a positive change in their country.
Omid says his collaborators were delighted once he broke down the concept to them, and agreed that their country needed a song like ‘Gambiano Labaluwo’, especially in trying times as the world is halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Omid concedes that like many artists around the world, the current health crisis has kept him from releasing as much music as his team had originally planned. Shooting music videos or engaging in activities that requires the team to travel has been virtually impossible during the lockdown, which he addressed in a recent song titled ‘Corona’.
On what he hopes fans will take away from ‘Gambiano Labaluwo’, Omid said: “I hope listeners will see the need to understand the importance of civic education and not vote blindly during elections. I hope listeners understand Gambia’s state of affairs so as to make them more proactive in nation-building.”
Omid’s future plans involve making more music for the Gambia and the world at large. He also expressed hope that his participation in advocacy will inspire young people to play their part in the development of society.
Omid is due to release an EP, album and a number of music videos, all of which will be rolled out as soon as COVID-19 pandemic is over. Additionally, he intends to pursue his interest as an actor, revealing that he has been cast in an upcoming film.