President Jammeh's Benovalence Negative Impact on the Musicians

Dear Kaabefoo,

I must thank President Jammeh for his generosity to the musicians both those outside of the country and the ones within. He has enormously contributed to the advancement of music in the country in one way or the other. He has dished bundles of dalasi notes to all categories of our musicians in recognition of their artistic work. That is a welcome gesture.

Jammeh should really be commended for that, even though, it seem he has taken a U turn from his early days in office. He has in the full view of all and sundry downplayed musicians at the July 22 square, saying that he will not entertain praise singing. Jammeh re-emphasised that in recent times calling on the musicians not to use the Kanilai Festivals for only praise singing him.

Music as we all know, historically, has been a very good medium of sending useful messages and relating good information in the times of war and peace and still remains so. But this is a far cry from what the case is now in The Gambia. Our musicians pour a lot more praises on the President to the detriment of the sending of good and informative messages.

They are doing that to compete for the hundreds of dalasis the he gives as hand outs. Musicians the world over are making best use of this opportunity, in exchange of praises like,  Mabili Mansa, Bye Mu Handorr, Jammeh Musa, and so on and so forth.

The benevolence has its negative impacts, Mr. President. Give them money, but in exchange of informative messages that can help impact positively on society and enhance a change in attitudes. The negative impact does not affect all of them, there are some that are sending good and informative messages but they are few.

We must also note that some are just mere flattering, eg Babili Mansa. Mr. President there were bridges here before 1994, the Denton bridge, the Kalagi (Bremen) Bridge, and the Pakaliba Brideges, please reconsider who to dash bundles of money to, as some are just mere flattering.

By Fatou Gibba