By Yunus S Saliu
Respecting cultural diversity, exchange, and cooperation, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in The Gambia in collaboration with the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) on Sunday, 6th April 2025 presented a Chinese Music Group Strikeast Percussion Ensemble (SEPE) to entertain people of The Gambia as part of activities marking the China-Gambia Cultural Exchange program. The China Drumming Show was held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (SDKJ) International Conference Center, Bijilo.
Chinese Percussion Ensemble’s visit to The Gambia for performance was organized by the Network of International Culturalink Entities, Co-organized by Central Conservatory of Music, and hosted by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of The Gambia.
Giving his opening remarks at the event, Mr Zhao Shangsen, Charge d’affaires a.i of the Chinese Embassy in The Gambia welcomed the large audience to the drumming show saying “This China Drumming show is an electrifying musical extravaganza,” which they were able to put together for the great people of The Gambia to enjoy.
He recalled that in Beijing, about the same time, President of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative and he called “for respect for diversity of civilizations, and jointly advocating robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.”
Consequently, he harped on the theme for the Gambia Diamond Jubilee celebration as the drum of solidarity for the friendship of the great peoples of China and The Gambia sounds.
Meanwhile, he noted that the organizing of the event was made possible with the guidance and strong support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The Charge d’affaires applauded the National Centre for Arts and Culture SDKJ, GRTS, Flex Fuzion Entertainment, the Gambian Kungfu Wushu Federation, and The Gambia Music Store for their contribution.
Representing the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) at the show, Sheik Omar noted that the two countries have had very rich and close diplomatic relations dating to the 1974s except for a brief period in the second republic when it was severed but later re-established in 2016.
“The Gambia and China have continued to be good friends,” he noted while saying the presence of the Chinese Cultural Delegation exemplifies the very strong relations between the two countries,” he disclosed.
He emphasized that diplomats put a very high premium on using culture to strengthen ties between countries as such cultural exchange promotes people-to-people relationships which is “indeed very important.”
He, therefore, used the moment to commend the Chinese Embassy in the Gambia for inviting and facilitating this very important cultural group to visit this country while assuring the government of the People’s Republic of China through its Embassy in the Gambia that TheGambia will continue to put a high premium on the diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
However, the audience was thrilled with different performances which included the Lion Dance Drumming, Drum Poem, the Golden Pheasant Flying out of the Mountain, South of the Clouds, Fight Between the Bull and the Tiger, A Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix Female Generals of the Yang Family, Soaring Dragon and Leaping tiger, others.
