Rising Stars Africa, a televised series talent show, recently awarded three winners of its latest episode.
Winner Saffie Josephine Jatta, runner-up Sharurya Ganesh Shinde, and third runner-up Amadou Taal were honored with cash prizes and other valuables.
Saffie Jatta, a singer, took home D100,000. The first runner-up received an air conditioner from Ezone Electronics, while the second runner-up took home a 42inches smart television. Third runner-up received a smart phone and power bank from Unique Solutions.
“The show was highly competitive with 20 incredibly talented contestants. They performed their geniuses through drama and dancing, poetry and singing and it was wonderful,” CEO Mariam Bangz told journalists at the award ceremony held at Metzy Residence Hotel.
She said half of Ms Josephine’s money is for her music production. “In November, our company would contact her to go and pay for her production. A very promising singer, she is now under Bangz Entertainment for two years, which will fully support her to release her first eagerly awaited album in the new year,” the CEO said.
She told journalists that when Rising Stars Africa was set up in 2016, as her brainchild, the overarching goal was to help shape precarious lives and particularly contribute in the nurturing and promotion of unrefined talents and potential in young Gambians. “Almost five years later, I must say we are proud of our achievements. We especially wanted to curb irregular migration among young Gambians. The number of young people who took part in our shows is a true testament to that, and an indication that together, we can make the issue of the ‘backway’ a thing of the past in The Gambia,” Ms Bangz stated.
She cited the “great achievements” of the show’s first winner, Sunite Daffeh, who she paid tribute to for producing her own songs, and for representing The Gambia at the Merck Foundation, and elsewhere.
She thanked her sponsors and appealed for greater support of the show.
