By Lamin Cham
Thousands of music lovers and fans of Senegalese super star Youssou Ndour on Sunday enjoyed a free concert at the Traffic Lights (Kairaba Avenue) packaged and delivered by Africell, the Gambia’s biggest GSM company.
The yearly spectacle brings the King of Mbalax and his band to the doorsteps of fans who might otherwise not be able to enjoy his live concert.
The free concert dated back a couple years and it is the much sought after event each year, often coming just after the FTN Heroes Award, another massive Africell partner event which precedes it a night before.
The free concert also provides Gambian artistes, especially Africell brand ambassadors and others, a lifetime opportunity to mount the bigger stage. At each free concert a gallery of Gambian artistes take turns to mount the big stage to connect with their fans in a whole evening of jamboree.
“The free concert is an annual event but this year, it has a special importance because it is part of our 25 years anniversary celebrations. After 25 years of operations in The Gambia, which inspired our presence in other African countries, we have decided to take our engagement with our subscribers to a higher level by providing many new avenues to plough back to Gambians,” Musa Sise, Chief Government Liaison officer and PR director, said.
He said other initiatives include the Africell scholarship initiative called Future Leaders Programme, an innovative drive to promote youth entrepreneurship and skills development, among Gambian youths.
Africell is equally launching a huge promotion in which two fabulous houses will be given out to two subscribers at the end of the year.
These potential winners will have to be afrimoney customers.
Back to the free concert, where, as the evening worn on, the Traffic Lights area was invaded by thousands of revelers who braved the relatively cold breeze to occupy all space to enjoy the show.
They thronged and flooded the road and the entire intersection of the Traffic Lights from the Flyover, stretching down to the American Embassy and beyond, while others perched on rooftops to follow the spectacle and the vibes.
In front of the stage, Africell put up a VIP tent for invited guests served with snacks to energise them for the long evening entertainment.
On stage, Youssou N’dour played with the energy of an old friend seeking to make up for the time lost while away from friends.
Typical of him, he played songs for the elderly, the youth and the very young, all delivered in his iconic sonorous voice. It was the first trip too, to Banjul without the legendary guitarist Jimmy Mbaye who passed away just after the band returned home after completing its new-year gig in The Gambia last January. His acoustic guitaring at the beginning of the traditional royal Birima song was renditioned and greeted by emotions from both fans and the band with Youssou himself leading the tribute. Then followed a joint performance with Gambian rap sensation ST, Brikama Boyo which sent the crowd to a rapturous applause.
”The feeling was good and the time well spent. Thank you Africell,” was how a retired civil servant summed up the evening.
