National Centre for Arts and Culture Hail Artists

The National Centre for Arts and Culture last Tuesday called for a press conference to impart acknowledgment to the international artists who were here to take part in the Sub-regional Youth Music Festival organised by the National Centre for Arts and Culture in collaboration with UNESCO.

 In her opening remark, Ms. Isatou Njie of National Centre for Arts and Culture expressed her happiness and thanked the artists for taking part in representing their countries. She also thanked UNESCO for sponsoring the event.

Isatou Njie maintained that the Sub-regional Youth Music Festival was a success for the simple fact that the National Centre for Arts and Culture were able to meet their aims and objectives, which include using music as a way of fostering unity within the sub-region.

For his part, Mr Cornelius J. Gomez, Director of Literature, Performing and Fine Arts explained that musicians have a secret role to play, adding that the youth musicians have nothing but their future. He went on to thank all those who contributed in one way or the other towards the success of the programme.

Lady Filicia, from Sierra Leone, thanked the Government of The Gambia through the National Centre For Arts and Culture for inviting them to attend the first international sub-regional youth music festival in the country.

Lady Filicia called on all Africans, particularly her fellow musicians, to come as one and change Africa.

"When you look at the news in the international world, you see African poverty, Africa war and Africa starvation," she noted.

"As musicians and journalists, I think we can make a change," she concluded.

In his closing remarks, Mr Modou Joof, Director National Centre for Arts and Culture, said this year's festival is an historic event in the sense that it's the first time in The Gambia.

According to him, this festival was a project proposal from The Gambia and its aim is to promote cultural diversity, promotion of inter-cultural dialog, promotion of unity and understanding within the sub-region.

Director Joof added that UNESCO approved the project proposal to see that this will not only bring musicians from The Gambia but from other countries as well.

He went on to explain that UNESCO believes that this is a way of promoting peace and understanding among the artists in the sub-region.

He therefore thanked both the Gambian musicians and the international ones who participated during the event. He added that this is a clear indication that they have ably represented their countries.

Other speakers include Kokoti from Senegal and Oumar Konate from Mali who both expressed similar sentiments.