App Launched With Promise Of Greater Opportunities For Gambian Artists

Homegrown streaming platform Kora Music on Thursday officially launched its app at the National Centre for Arts and Culture, NCAC, in Pipeline.

It is expected to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, protecting Gambian intellectual property, and paying Gambian artists.

In a quest to safeguard and promote cultural heritage, Sound of The Gambia Kora Music says it is time for greater ownership, investment and opportunities for Gambian artists.

“No more streaming foreign platforms while Gambian talent starves,” Co-founder Anthony Mendy said.

Mendy described the platform as “a new dawn for Gambian music”, a locally developed solution to longstanding challenges of distribution and monetisation.

With the App, Artists can create accounts and upload music directly from their phones without relying on expensive third-party distributors who take cuts and delay releases.

Artists will also earn from streams and have direct access to earnings.

“They will be able to withdraw using verified NCAC registration numbers. No middleman. No excuses.”

Mendy argued that Kora Music is about more than technology. “It is about ownership of intellectual property and digital identity of Gambian music.”

He called on artists across the country established and emerging to register with NCAC and join the platform, urging unity to build stronger local industry.

He also appealed to the business community and private investors to invest in entertainment and creative industries, describing the sector as a major opportunity for young people and called for partnerships to formalize and expand the creative economy.

He urged NCAC to strengthen support for artists through policies that protect digital assets, funding for creative initiatives and continued assistance to the creative sector. The launch of Kora Music should mark the  beginning of broader efforts to make Gambian music profitable and sustainable.

Director of Literature and Performing Arts at NCAC, Sanna B Jarju, said talent is not the problem for Gambian artists but limited opportunities.

“This app will really turn listeners into supporters and streams into income,” he said.

He explained that Kora Music is mobile streaming and digital marketplace built specifically for the Gambian industry. “The platform connects artists and fans through decentralised ecosystem where artists can upload, manage, promote and send music directly to listeners.

Fans can discover new artists, stream songs and albums, purchase music, create playlists, enjoy offline listening of purchased content.”

He said artists can monetise their work through direct music sales while managing their profiles, catalog, earnings, and withdrawal request through dedicated artist passport.

“This app is very sophisticated and it is our Gambian own,” he said.

He added that the platform aims to support growth of the industry by providing dedicated digital distribution tailored to local audiences.

“NCAC is willing to associate with the app because it empowers musicians economically.”

Musician Barham Cham urged artists to make best use of the new Kora app and the opportunities it comes with.

The launch places emphasis on locally owned digital ecosystem, with Kora Music seeking to connect Gambian artists with new avenues for distribution, audience reach and earnings.