Five young Gambian young artistes on Wednesday left for the United Kingdom for a mega concert at the Coliseum Suites Hall in London.
They included Jali Madi, Nana Mboob, Slam G aka alias the City Boys, Madi Kanuteh and Gibou Bala-Gaye alias Gee.
Their trip was made possible through a partnership of Global Properties and Gambia Bird Airline.
Speaking to reporters at the airport shortly before the departure of the artistes, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Properties, Saul Frazer, said his company has been supporting Gambian artistes for a long time.
“We felt that it is right time to take Gambian musicians beyond our boarders,” Mr Frazer said.
“Therefore we deem it fitting for the UK to be one of the first places where we can take these five young Gambian artistes to perform and ideally we want the event to be an annual event but all will depend on the outcome.”
He used the opportunity to call on the Gambians living in the Diaspora, particularly in the UK to come over to the concert and support their younger brothers and sisters who have made the efforts to go to the UK to showcase their talents.
“Apart from these five Gambian artistes we will also be having the presence of Vivian Ndoure, a Senegalese artiste, at the UK concert where equal time will be given to all the artistes to perform,” Mr Frazer explained.
Malleh Sallah, chief executive officer of Gambia Bird, who also spoke to reporters at the Gambia Bird Corner at the airport, said Gambia Bird felt that their contribution to this initiative is part of their corporate social responsibility to The Gambia and the youth.
He added that at Gambia Bird they are trying by all means to reach the market all over the world.
These markets are where the concert is going to be held in UK, he said, adding that it is very important for Gambia Bird to engage in such activities as they have two flights going to the UK.
He described Global Properties as a dynamic company led by young Gambians. “When you have two Gambian companies that are dynamic and are moving towards the development of The Gambia you have to work together,” he said.
In sponsoring these trip we did not have two minds about it because the purpose behind it is very laudable, which is to give Gambians in the Diaspora the opportunity to come back home and invest and to buy homes; that is an idea that we have to give helping hand to, ” he said.
Before their departure, the artistes expressed their gratitude to both Global Properties and Gambia Bird for their foresight in taking them to UK to perform their ever-international concert.
“We promised our fans back in the country here that we will do our utmost best to promote the Gambian music in the UK and we will also raise the Gambian flag higher during our concert in the UK,” the young promising artistes told reporters.
