Open Mic Festival staged for 23 December

Black Lynx Entertainment will hold its fourth-year annual Open Mic Festival at the Independent Stadium in Bakau on 23 December 2011.

Black Lynx is also a core organizer of the annual Fila Musical Entertainment show in collaboration with Mediamatic.

In an interview with The PointEntertainment recently, Wagan Faye, Black Lynx Entertainment manager, said this year’s event, targeting 20,000 people, will bring together 20 local Gambian artistes to perform live on stage to showcase their artistic talents and skills.

Open Mic Festival, he explained, is conducted both monthly and annually, every last Friday of the month at various localities, as well as at the end of the year.

The monthly decentralized event has been staged at various places within the greater Banjul area, including the capital city of Banjul, the Kanifing Municipality and the Western Region suburbs.

Plans are also underway to organise similar events in the other regions of The Gambia, he disclosed.

Mr Faye added that the last monthly Open Mic Festival took place on Friday 2 December 2011 around the premises of Africell on Kairaba Avenue.

He calls on the public to be attending Open Mic festivals, geared towards empowering local Gambian artistes.

Mr Faye also said that in every monthly event, young artistes of that area are given the microphone to display their talents through live performance.

He added that the annual event will feature big time artistes, who will be performing with live band backed by the Holy Family Band.

“We are trying to celebrate Open Mic, which has been a renaissance to local music and that’s what we want to celebrate. Lots of artistes’ fame could be credited to the Open Mic,” Mr Faye said, citing the likes of Balaranks, Poetic X, Humanity Band, Tapha Artist, Jalimadi, Benjamin, ENC, among others, who have become well-known figure mainly through their participation in the Open Mic Festivals.

These artistes will also be part of the 20 local Gambian artistes performing live during the Open Mic Festival on 23 December, which starts at 11pm onwards. 

The entire event will be centred on music entertainment, he said, adding: “Our aim is to make music an industry like any other business in The Gambia.”

Mr Faye said that even though the event caters for the locals, it is open to internationals who are interested in taking part.

The ministers of Tourism and Youth and Sports, and the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) were among dignitaries invited to grace the event.

“Our message is Gambians can do it. We want to show to the locals that we can do it, as anybody can,” Mr Faye said, adding last year’s Annual Open Mic Festival attracted 10,000 spectators. This year they want to double the figure by targeting 20,000 spectators, he concluded.