Lamin Ceesay, a young and upcoming Gambian model, is trying tooth and nail to demystify the myth that Gambians are never-doers when it comes to modeling.
Having started his modeling career two years back working with a reputable modeling agency in
In a brief chat with The Point, Lamin who is currently in
Below we reproduce in full, the interview we had with Lamin Ceesay.
Q – Welcome back to the
A – Thank you very much. Well my name is Lamin Ceesay, a 22 year old Gambian. I live in
I started as a model two years back and what really inspired me was a photographer where I live, which is a small city in Gottenburg. Gottenburg is the second biggest city in
So we did the photo shots and we made a lot of pictures out of which I selected 10, which he also liked. What he told me was that by looking at the pictures, he could see that I can become a model. He gave me the pictures for free and told me that he was going to contact different modeling agencies. He contacted them and took me for an interview after which I signed a contract. So this is how it all started.
Q – How has things been going since then?
A - Well, modeling is like it goes up and down. Some months, you have a lot of jobs and some months you don’t have any. At times, you can work like everyday in the week going from city to city. Apart from that, its fun; there is a lot of stress because you have to think about how you look but otherwise, it is nice.
Q – How is it like being a model?
A – Its fun you know especially in
Q – Do you have any plans of introducing modeling in the
A – Oh yes, sure. This is my country and I would like to do whatever I can to help my country. I want people to know that there is a Gambian model living in
Q – Of course there must be challenges in everything one does. What are your challenges as a model?
A - Of course there are lots of challenges. I never heard of a Gambian model before and am sure there are millions of Gambians. It’s just fun and I would be proud if I meet another model.
Q – Do you face some competition in
A – Yes a lot of competition. You know modeling business is very big in
Q – What advice do you have for young Gambians with the skills and talents to become a model?
A – To become a model, I would just advice them to go in for it if it is their dream. Just believe in yourself because everyone in this world has his/her own beauty. But to become a model, you have to have this special thing.
All I want to say is that anyone who wants to become a model can try. If you know a modeling agency, just send your pictures because in my case, I did not even know that I have the potential to be a model but I just tried and it was my luck. May be you have something, may be you have the charisma, the face, the length, the body or it can be anything. So just try.
To be honest, I can’t even explain it in words. It’s just wonderful. The last time I was here is like 6-7 years; so a lot of things have changed but I can only say good things. It is really wonderful to be back and it’s great to represent this country even though I am living in
