By Yunus S Saliu
The National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has joined the Gambia artistic community to mourns the demised of the great Gambian musician, and the lead vocalist of the former Super Eagle Dance Band, Sir Ossou Njie Senor who died on the 29th November 2022.
In a morning mood, Mr. Hassoum Ceesay, the Director General of NCAC expressed deep condolences to the family and the entire artistic community of The Gambia on the demise of the late musician who he described as the pioneer of Gambia Band Music 50 years ago when the Eagle Band was formed and later become the Super Eagle and one of the greatest music sensation in Africa in the 60s and early 70s.
According to DG Ceesay, the late Njie Senor and other members of the Super Eagle were the pioneers of Gambia model music and they are the ones that have paved, and nurtured, the Gambia popular music through the Super Eagle which existed as a band in the 1960s until the early 1970s.
He added that the Super Eagle was a success because it toured almost the whole world – West Africa, Africa, and Europe such that even after the band broke up in the early 70s some members of the group continued to champion Gambia music in other subsequent music bands such as Ifanbondi and also the Djalewa Band.
He said “whatever progress we have made today in the Gambia music and the lots of progress is because the Gambia music sector is working very hard due to great extent to sacrifice and to the pioneering role of Mr. Njie Senor and his band members to name few Mr. Pap Touray, Senemi Taylor, Modou Cham, and others.
He added that “Ossou Njie Senor stood out among his peers because he never went for retirement as far as music is concerned he continued to tour and the latest among these tours was a reconstituted group of Europe in 2019. And before that, in late 1990 he was very instrumental in reconvening the Super Eagle until they were able to release some of their old records which are still very popular among the Gambians and fans.
“On behalf of the Board of the National Centre for Arts and Culture, the Honourable Minister of Tourism and Culture, Hamat NK Bah, and entire members of the Gambia artistic fraternity the NCAC wishes to convey sincere condolences to the family of late Ossou Njie Senor to pray for his soul to rest in peace.”