REBELLION THE RECALLER RELEASES HIS NEW ALBUM

 The Gambian internationally acclaimed reggae artist based in Germany who brought smile and put the Gambia on the international reggae map have so much on his sleeves that he is widely known in the reggae fraternity not to mention Europe, Jamaica, Africa and parts of the world will release his new album “IN THIS TIME” .The album is said to be a must listen to, embroidered with head nodding songs and food for thought lyrics dealing with issues relating to our society in general. Rebellion have performed in many shows across Europe, and in 2001, 2006 and 2008 respectively won the best international and solo artist award in Africa.

Ghetto Boy Music released a spanking new riddim

     One of Gambia's most popular and talked about R &B singer/producer Nova has released a new afro wave music riddim called 'The Gentlemen Riddim' on the 10^th March 2012. The riddim featured twelve local artists namely:  Dro kyleh, Nova, Og Loo, ST, Gee,  Awa Bling,  New era,  Humzy, MLK,  Da Gees,  Star on da mic,  Tamsir and Nova respectively. According to Nova who is the brain behind the newly invented Afro wave music expressed his concern for the proper establishment of the Gambian music industry and said, in the race to find a signature and identity for Gambian music, there is a need to create such a riddim like the 'Ladies Riddim'  launched on January 13^th  of this year which was also  in the same musical format as the new 'Gentlemen riddim'. The young entertainer proudly said the Afro wave is now a Gambian music.

Join Hands Together doing their bit in the GM Hip Hop circle

Join Hands Together is a hip hop group consisting of three rappers who have been working together since 2007 organizing annual free shows at Ebo Town and going to the extreme to make sure positive messages are being sent across through Rap music or Hip Hop are working on their debut album “PEACE AND LOVE”. On Wednesday 13^th march 2012, Join Hands Together held a press at Alliance Franco Gambienne on the Kairaba Avenue which was to let public know about the fundamental nature of Hip Hop and ofcourse to give hip hop a new facelift in The Gambia with their catch phrase  “ DEAKIL RAP” and what they have in store to make Hip Hop  more appealing to the  Gambian public. They have three lines of activities among others which include setsettal which will be on Friday 16 march, concert on satirday 17 march, lessons on music and press conferences to arm the Gambian music scene with good teachings of rap music as part of their social responsibilities as a real Hip Hopper. Speaking at the press conference, Kang Foreh, a one third of Join Hands Together expressed his sincere gratitude to the participants and journalists, said the idea behind the setsettal when asked by journalists said they want to make sure the environment stays clean in order to be able to do their job properly which is rap. And Pa Mamadi, head of the organizing committee and Noumal (two third of JHT), on their part said underground is always the one stop for talent and that’s why they are making efforts to improve peoples understanding of the subject matter Hip Hop through dealing with burning issues like teenage pregnancy and other social issues affecting us. Ous T, head of Hip Hop Heads participated in the conference and added that, “the problem of hip hop in the Gambia is identity crisis so therefore we should be able to differentiate between different genres or subgenres to be able to share a common ideology and be united”

The press conference attracted many participants from different walks of life including media personnel. 

Kids knocking the hell out of the snake like its going out of style

I went to Kunku Jang Keitayaa on this day and on my way going back home to my surprise i saw these kids stomping and hitting something from a distance i couldn't tell what they were roughing up SO BAD, so i decided to double up my speed to find out what was going down. When i caught up with them mein.. I saw a snake on the ground head all messed up by these kids with blocks and anything they lay their hands on with passion and what amazes me was there was no iota of fret or fear on their faces. I looked at the environment and came to a friendly conclusion..... they are used to seeing snakes and ofcourse slaying them as well. But right before i finished adding up, one kid stuck the dead snake up with a stick so that i can take a good picture of it. The other kid said "heyy! lii yenn la tuda" i looked at him with jaw dropping gesture and said nganeh lum tuda?
 

Smoke Doctah's 2nd album 'll go tornado in the Gambian Hip Hop circle

Smoke Doctah's 2nd album - NEGRITUDE 

Smoke Doctah widely known as Smokey is a song writer/ Pan African artist, and the creative director of Lacosa Nostra, one of the biggest Hip Hop movement in the Gambia. He started making heads nod in the college parks of Toronto, Canada with his infinite wisdom and unique style of rapping and delivery without compromising his tradition. In 2005 he released his first album “Ghetto Noir” which went straight to MTV making Smoke Doctah/Lacosa Nostra the flag bearer of Hip Hop in the recorded history of the Gambian Hip Hop. His new album “Smoke Doctoh’s NEGRITUDE” will be released on Friday 16^th December 2011 at Milly’s nite club, Senegambia.

"The El Capitan of this hip hop thing in the Gambia and the most versatile Hip Hop album so far".—says Bankie Grey-Johnson, Shout Gambia/ Hot Ink Media.
"Listening to his promo songs, you realize that he has gone beyond just rap. He's got incredible punch lines and metaphors, and that's what hip hop is suppose to be about" -- says Bilal Bin Kebba, Poetic X.
 

I went to visit Smoke Doctoh in his Serekunda residence for an exclusive interview with him.

Q1- First of all who is Smoke Doctah and why the name Smoke Doctah?

My real name is Batch Samba Gaye and I got Smoke Doctoh from Hakim, my first producer when I came back home. Hakim calls me smoke Doctah because he felt that I bring signs in music and because of the signs I bring into the music he gave me Smoke Doctah but lot of people call me Smokey that’s my nickname even back in college in Canada.

Q2 – When did you fall in love with Hip Hop?

Back in the days in the 80s when I was a kid growing up in Serekunda and Pipeline, I fell in love with hip hop when first heard Heavy D and NWA’s song and I use to rap over Heavy D’s songs that was when i fell in love with Hip Hop.

Q3- Why Hip Hop?

You can say it was meant to happen that I was going to be a rapper and when I went to Canada I got deep into hip hop listening to real hip hop like Boot Camp from then on I started freestyling at the college park. When you go to a place where everybody is freestyling you just have to spit something. So that’s how it happened and later I became a battle rapper, I get into hip hop freestyle sessions at college parks in Canada around 2003 that’s when I use to go to college park and that’s when people call me on the sideline “Yo you’re nice” and I respected those people when they told me that and I took it seriously.

Q 4 - As a matured and humble Hip Hop emcee with a unique style of delivery. What is the idea behind your way of rapping and flow?

It happens because of my being in different places from Serekunda that’s a different experience to Canada, a little island call Nova Scotia from there I moved to Toronto where its like patuwa with the Jamaicans and reggae because in Toronto you have lot of Jamaicans that’s why you hear all those flows with little Jamaican swagger on it, I got that from Toronto then moved to London Ontario dealing with different peoples that made my flow unique. I always say to rap like me you got to go all the place I have been to. That’s how I got that unique style and I found out like yo nobody raps like me and I said ah okay this is my style.

Q5- Do you write your own songs or you have someone taking care of that?

Nah…{laughs} I never let anyone write a song for me I write songs for people but I don’t think I am in that level am because am too creative even if I stop rapping I will be writing songs for people. I think I was going to be a book writer if I wasn’t a rapper because am someone who is into poetry deep into poetry that’s why you always hear me coming with ideas like “Ghetto Noire” my first album and “my second album “Negritude” I got them all poetry from reading poetry black African poetry. Am a big fan of the late Leopold Senghore the late president of Senegal he came up with the idea NEGRITUDE with Aime Cesaire just reading their poetry I found out that negritude is about negro Africans attitude so that’s why I name my album negritude. Am a writer though I got that maybe from my father because he used to write too for papers back in Ken Street Voo in Banjul and later Jawara gave them scholarships and they all went to Ghana to go to school, I think I got that from him.

Q6- What are the kind of subjects or issues do you deal with in your songs?

Basically I deal with political and social conscious music and when I do social songs I do songs for everybody every ghetto youth be like okay that’s my song and sometimes when I just raise political awareness I don’t get into deep politics, just political awareness knowing my surroundings and being aware of what is going around you, i reflect that on my music you can tell that this guy really lives in the ghetto that’s why he talks and acts like them. I don’t” force it just happen.

Q7- Most people say Gambians don’t pay attention to artists financially. What is your take on that as an artist set to release an album?

To be honest this album at the last minute I tried to look for sponsors but it didn’t work because I found out that lot of people are scared to associate with Smokey because am very outspoken and people know. If I call to people who control stuffs they wouldn’t answer but if they see on the streets they be like “Yo how are you doing I haven’t seen you.” I know that they are scared to bring me in their circle but I have people like private individuals, friends who come to me to see me to give me something “put this towards the album” “I know you are against all odds and its gonna be real hard to push this album” Lot of people think that I shouldn’t release this album because it will bring a lot of controversies, its gonna show a lot of people how I look at them Because its about my attitude, the way I look at a particular group of people and how I react. It was hard but I came out with album with the help of God and people that love real Hip Hop. Gambians are really opening their eyes now they be like “who is Smoke Doctoh?” How come promoters don’t talk about him and he has accomplished so much when it comes to Gambian music he took Gambian music where no body took it to so why are they fighting him. But later people are going to find out the truth that I don’t wanna be controlled.

Q8- What can fans expect from your new album?

Its got a proper intro, battle songs, club songs, battle rap, love song, sad song, everything put together made it a classic and I didn’t compromise my tradition. In a hip hop world they call it classic it has storytelling songs with lot of Wolof, local people can relate to so I balanced it so that Gambia wouldn’t feel left out and the international world that love me too.

Q9 – When you are writing a song. Do you think about the impact it would make on the community? 

Sometimes I when am done writing I would smile and say Yo I don’t know about the community but the real Africans that are proud of themselves would love it because I wrote it from that point of view that’s why am like a Pan African artist, I make songs that Africans hunts like Ghetto Noir, Down Hood music those tracks I did them thinking about Africa and the love I have for Africa and show what I feel about Africa. When I say real Africans I mean real Africans not assimilated Africans with western values 

Q10- Do you think that the Gambian music scene is heading the right direction?

Basically, in my point, its going to be a struggle, because right now 70 percent of Gambian music right now is like friendly not socially conscious just happy music, so if we are making 30 percent of the real music the 70 percent outnumber the 30, so its going to be hard for the 30 percent to push their view there and the 70 percent and the people that feel like they are promoting the Gambian music have their American mind state like we’re just gonna push music that will sell and artists that are radio friendly so anytime you see them gather a bunch artist its just a bunch of happy artists that make happy music so you see the real artists are left out so its going to be struggle but people like me am not going to stop.

Q11- When did you start recording this album?

Last year i did the intro with jay tricks “slave to my rhythm” , we were to record full album but then he had to go back to Sweden and then we did only three songs and put them aside because I had an hospitality management internship and after the internship I walked into Hot B’s studio (Mandela Record) April 2011 and recorded “Set Settal” as soon as I was done with it I started recording the Negritude album in April 2011 and in two weeks everything was done because I already had the ideas in my head. I brought artists and everybody I worked with and said this is what I want here and there and then it happened exactly the way I want it to be.

Q12 – What would you like to tell the young people growing up hoping to be like you someday?

Musically if you want to be like me I suggest you increase your vocabulary and read a lot, you don’t have to be educated like going to university or whatever just have this nerve for reading because if you can have that then you have a long way to go and lot of topics to touch. For me personally people might think am a ghetto youth do what ghetto youths do but I have another addiction and that’s reading, I read everything I can get my hands on especially stuffs that are politically and socially conscious, true stories like biographies. Am like a scholar always wants to know like a Talibe I listen to anyone that has something to say. Just be a good listener, read a lot and accept constructive criticism, If somebody tell you I don’t like this about you don’t be mad because sometimes criticism is good, just think how you are going to fix it up that what a good artist do. I find out who you really and respect your tribe and any tribe then you will be a universal artist

Q13- In one of your songs I heard you spittin' “I left my wallet in Toronto”. can you break that down?

I left my wallet in Toronto means back in Toronto I was really like a successful type rapper not from the rap game but I had money and a crew and lot of stuffs that was going on that was so big that when I came back to the Gambia I lost all that I had. So I had to be humble because many people think that I have money, that’s why I say I left my wallet in Toronto because that’s where the paper is.

Q14- Can you tell us about the people or events that really inspired you?

The people that inspired me is Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass (Bai Nyass). I was really lost when I came back home because I was kind of assimilated too, I got into Sufism in 2005

Went to Kaolack where Learned things I didn’t learn in the university. Of all the learnings I did in life in the world, the most important learning I did was knowing who I am and knowing God. The birth of my son Talib also is one of the events that really forced me to change because before I didn’t care about what I say but every kid goes a stage where you were rebellious.

I came across this Gambian Norwegian- Haddy Njie

I had to repost it in the benefit of all Gambians to know what she is all about

Haddy N'jie - Gambian Norwegian composer and singer who released her first album in 2005. Reviewers called it "impressive", "sensationally strong" and "one of the best newcomers in a long time". She also does theatre, music and humour with the African Norwegian group Queendom. 

Haddy is also a journalist by profession.

In her own words..

"I was born on one of those rear tropical Norwegian summer nights when Oslo is buzzing with people who actually are warm enough to look each other in the eye. And maybe even smile. In 1979 Norway was still a very white country (it still is, but we’ve managed to blend in some pigment during the last 20 years) and all the other mothers thought I was born with hepatitis. They had never seen such a yellow baby. But when my dad finally, and proudly, entered the room they understood that there was no hepatitis, just Gambian genes.

I started working in television when I was eleven and ended up as a journalist, working as a freelancer for different Norwegian magazines.
Christmas Eve 2000 I was living in Granada, Spain and my boyfriend bought me a guitar. One thing followed another. I started writing songs. Moved back to Norway and held my first concerts. In 2005 I released my first album; “White lies” and I'm working on the second one.
My other great love is Queendom. We are five women of Norwegian, African and Caribbean descent creating meaningful, poetic, musical humour. I love it!"

Observations and gap filling

One thing I have notice and it has been going down for quite a while now, is that most or some of the acts in the Gambia don't seem to better understand the music business properly and their role as an artist. No disrespect though, am a concerned GM music lover and quite frankly i believe artists shouldn't see themselves as lab rats or something used to conduct experiments and all of that stuffs because if truth be told without them{acts} there would be less going on in entertainment circle of the Gambia and I also believe that we should be able to distinguish between the various sub genres surfacing from the grounds of our music scene and be able to categorise them in order so that the listeners can know what they are getting from the artist, not to leave 'em with one option/aferr.. "boi its Gambian music" .
Shyboy Ent have broke that circle by comin up with a fusion with a seductive marinba thing, couple of years ago and they call it CMP and it gave the impression that they are knee deep tryining to flip the script and that's real cool of 'em cuz they want GM music to go international but first they wanted the CMP to be appreciated locally.

That been said, right now i can beat my chest and say to GM acts - Yow mein def ngen sen walla du chahan, but the challenges are far more greater than what you think of the critics. Dish out something that is beyond just the pleasure of listening in a more conceptual manner cuz you have the power to change the behaviour of people whether you are aware of that fact or not. When you find yourself in a situation where the scene is going through structuring stages, its never easy on all sides and that's when i think an act should stick to what he/she can do for real and gain the friendship of versatility calculatively which is the artists's favourite tool to gain the trust of the audience. Omid Wisdom's "kassette bu jaxaso" if you listen to it you find out that he had different things going on in the mixtape, the beats, use of local languages, afromatic stuffs etcetera, thats not all that is to it. Kassette Bu Jaxaso clearly defines the now music scene of the Gambia, especially Hip Hop genre with the advent of differences in the way of doing things between acts, producers, promoters etc... Kassette bu Jaxaso is the window to show how the music is evolving, identity crisis and the race to lay the blueprints. This are some of the observations i noticed and am most sincere to shared it with you all... Much appreciation goes out to all those who are bent on making our entertainment circle a road worthy to journey on.

GEE AND MANDING MORRY SHOWDOWN AT CHOOSAN ENTERTAINMENTY CENTER

The much anticipated “who is who” and “who’s got more fan base than the other” dubbed Gee Vs Manding Morry is slated for the 3^rd of march 2012 at the Choosan Entertainment Centre, Senegambia strip has tickled the Gambian music lovers and Hip Hop Heads for its going to be a helluva show and because both acts have gain themselves considerable amount of hype in the entertainment circle of the Gambia not to mention Gee have so much up in his sleeves, he’s got three studio albums and two mixtapes and his works clearly demonstrates how thorough he is with regards to stand in the Hip hop scene, and most importantly the fans who nod their heads and dance to his music. And as for the Music-o record’s Manding Morry, he took the nation by storm with couple of hot singles and also without a full length studio album until this year the releasing of his first debut album “KIBAARO” which was released on February 3^rd this year of course by Music-o records, Gambia’s first established label. I was reliably informed by Ogika Amenechi of Rock entertainment via facebook “It’s simply a battle between both artistes for supremacy” Mr. Amenechi added that both the two acts are kings in their own aspects of music but the questions that are in the air are- who is the better performer ?. Who moves the crowd more? And who has a larger fan base and fan support? And it’s basically going to be a test of both artistes’ wits and the better performer on d night is definitely going to be crowned The King!

Be there to see for yourself who among these two acts is the better performer with considerable hype that deserve to be crowned the reigning king.

Tickets are -D100 for regular and D200 for VIP + a free compilation CD

Homecook freestyle competition

Home Cook Freestyle Competition

The young record producer of Negrophil Records and the producer/presenter of the HOMECOOK show aired on capital FM every saturday by Maaw G will be hosting a freestyle competition dubbed HOMECOOK FREESTYLE COMPETITION. The ultimate purpose of this competition is to bring to light the hidden talents and give them the opportunity to be heard out there by the right people. Twelve contestants will be taking part in this competition starting from the 11^th february 2012 to the 19^th may 2012 from 9pm to 11pm, and at the end of the competition the one who stand out victorious will be given the priviledge to have his/her full length studio album or a mixtape produced by Negrophil Records at no cost.

How it is being laid out

The competion will be in four rounds and in each round pointswill be given by the judges. Allocations of points to contestants will in two folds- the first fold will be done by the judges will will constitute about 60 pecent of the total points a contestant. The second fold will bethat of phone calls and messages from the live audiences or listeners constituting 40 percent of the total points.

In the first six editions two contestants will compete on the homecook show and the winner will move to the next level. After the six editions, the semi finals will be held with the six qualifiers of the preliminary editions and followed by two semifinals with editions with three contestant in each edition.

Two contestants will be eliminated and one will move to the finals.

Here are the name of the contestants and their date set for the freestyle competition

1^st edition : 11^th february 2012 – SWIZZY Vs KALSPEK

2^nd edition : 25^th february 2012 – D.M.B Vs BRAIN

3^rd edition : 10^th March 2012 – LIL CHILLY Vs M.C.J

4^th edition : 24^th march 2012 – BRAIN KRACA Vs LIMZA

5^th edition : 7^th April 2012 – MILLI Vs MATO

6^th edition : 21 April 2012 – P MORE Vs SPEED REBEL

The judges for the Homecook freestyle competition are Pa Ousman “Bilal Bin Kebba” Ceesay and my skinyself of Hip Hop Heads/TODAY newspaper respectively.

 






Tune in to listen and vote for the voices of your community, for every contestant represents the place he's from. The frequency is 100.4 FM or www.capitalfm.gm

Tools and toys

In The Gambia there are many rare varieties of snakes that has attracted the attention of scientist from many parts of the world. Kosso Sanoh is a name of a very poisonous snake in Mandinka. This snake's mode of attacking is very dangerous, what it does is it  bites real quick and vanish into thin air leaving the victim with an excruciating venom battling the circulatory system- shutting down the whole nervous and the most precious circulatory system of  the body. Legend has it that Kosso Sanoh can even pin point the location of the victim and hide somewhere close around the victim's neighborhood as early as it can get with all its senses wide awake longing to receive a message which would translate to the death of the bitten victim. And in the instance, the victim happens to survive it would bite itself to die. Now the floodgate of questions that keep bomb rushing my mind back and forth is- What kinda snake is that? Was sent by demons to execute a target? or maybe, it is one of the effective tools demons and people who possess black magic stuffs use to eliminate or in the least worst instance paralyzing the victim. Most people especially those from the rural areas where some of the actions take place concurred with this notion of  Kosso Sanoh being the tool of the wicked.