OpenMic/AfriCourage Festivals Onstage over the Weekend

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By BAKARY CEESAY

The OpenMic/AfriCourage festival brings together international and regional music stars to celebrate the power of music and the strength of indigenous culture in Banjul on 27-28 December, 2019 at the Independence stadium, Bakau.

On December 27th, the OpenMic festival reflects the power of hip-hop in the local culture.

On December 28th, the AfriCourage project focuses on traditional and contemporary culture, with an international and local line-up and a global streamcast courtesy of the European Broadcasting Union.

AfriCourage will thus become the first sub-Saharan African festival to be broadcast live to major European media networks.

The First night will feature Chroniko, One Pac, Jali Madi, Deejay Limbo, Sophia MYK JAYDA, Big Rozay, ENC, Attack, Jizzle and DJ Fireman to be back by live band Holy Family Band and Humanity Starz.

The AfriCourage line-up will feature some of the legendary names of music from the region and beyond, including Baaba Maal (Senegal), Journal Rappé (Senegal), the Ensemble Modern (Germany), Smockey (Burkina Faso), Wimme & Rinne (Finland).

Gambian shakers and movers to be on stage are Jali Madi, Sambou Suso, Tata Dinding, OZZ, Gee, ST, Hussain, Swag Mankakunda, DJ Lashes, DJ Moses, DJ Yaffa, Dance Gambia and Flex Fusion Dancers.

Additionally, in an appearance devised especially for the festival, the Liberation Orchestra of Inverted Traditions will feature selected artists in a spectacular, never-to-be-repeated collaboration, blending the European traditions of visiting artists with local West African grooves.

The two concerts are to be held under the theme: “Young people for peaceful Gambia.”

The initiative is supported by the United Nations Youth Empowerment Project and aims at nothing less than turbo-charging the Gambian cultural economy.

Jointly organised by Gambian promoters Black Lynx Entertainment and the Goethe-Institut, the AfriCourage/OpenMic festival will be recorded, filmed and streamcast around the world.

In earlier times, the people of The Gambia would sit at night beneath the baobab tree and exchange news and views.

Traditions have changed, but still the need to share information, address problems and find solutions remains.

With this in mind, Germany’s Goethe-Institut has developed the AfriCourage project as a model of local and international cooperation and information exchange.

The initiative aims to encourage and enhance integration, participation, cooperation, engagement, tolerance and democracy. The AfriCourage programme is continuous, taking place yearly in a different country and in 2019 the location is The Gambia’s capital Banjul.

In December 2019, as guests of the OpenMicFest, AfriCourage will provide professional training from the worlds of festival presentation, event management, promotion, sound technology and media. AfriCourage is bringing artistic and business acumen to The Gambia to perform and work with local Gambian talent and entrepreneurs.

AfriCourage invites you to participate in an event celebrating the unique culture of the modern Gambia organized by Goethe Institut Senegal and Black Lynx Entertainment in The Gambia.

The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute, active worldwide.

It promotes the study of German abroad and encourages international cultural exchange.

The Gambian enterprise Black Lynx Entertainment is into the creation and development of platforms for artistes.

They have been involved in entertainment entrepreneurship in The Gambia for more than a decade with a core focus on (1) the creation and development of platforms on radio, TV, live events and (2) the marketing and monetization of Gambian entertainment. Since 2008 they have hosted the annual OpenMicFest.