IWD: WE ARE PHENOMENAL, WE ARE WOMEN! Introducing Aisha Barry,
filmmaker & feminist
In celebrating women’s month, I got to feature a multimedia personnel Aisha Barry, who’s a filmmaker, script writer, former modelist and also a feminist.
Speaking to Standard Lite, Aisha said as a young girl, acting was always her dream. A dream that started with ambition and dedication, until in 2006 when one Ebrima Ceesay, who saw her potentials, introduced her into acting, paving a path for her stardom.
In 2008, Aisha auditioned for Face of Gambia and was part of the top ten finalists. However, her promising career in modeling was bumpy as she invested much more interest into acting.
In 2010, she was cast in a movie with the now First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Mada Bio, titled Mirror Boy, in which she played the character of Salima, a fourteen-year-old girl who rescued a boy from the desert. The movie became a hit, becoming the first Gambian movie on Netflix. She also featured in another movie with Fatima Jabbie titled Expedition Gambia. She later did a documentary on Roots where she played the role of Kunta Kinteh’s mother, Binta Kinteh.
She has also worked with foreign actors from diaspora and some other African actors who are very influential internationally and many other unprecedented successes in the movie industry. “I also did a movie with Jackie Appiah and Majid Michel titled Groom’s Bride shot in The Gambia . I have worked with some Americans in a movie titled Root the Homecoming.”
“I directed my first short movie in September 2020 titled Beyond Limitations, which is a short documentary about Covid-19 and the challenges it brought to people’s lives,” Aisha said, also worked with State of Mic Media in 2020.
Despite being multi-talented, Aisha maintained an enviable interest in academics, bagging advance diploma in banking and finance from MDI.
Aisha is the founder of Alive Media Institute, which is based on producing documentaries and also trains young people in digital media.
Hood Kid storms Gambian music industry
Kebba Gaye, known by his stage name Hood Kid, is ready to disrupt the Gambian music scene with his exquisite rap skills.
From an early age, Hood Kid modelled his art on Gambian rap sensation Gee, and American rap gods like Lil Wayne and Eminem.
Hood Kid started taking his rap seriously four years ago and has since released a lot of songs, while also doing collabos with some artists like Chanta, Ydee, and many others. He is currently working on a collabo with Hussain which is expected to be released in the next few months.
After having a striking launch of his second EP last week, the Ebo Town-born revealed he is working on a debut album launch.
“We have already started working on the songs for the album. The album will be consisted of ten songs,” he unveiled.
Hood is however not having a cordial relationship with some of his fellow rappers for some years now, and some fans have speculated that his latest released video #NDANGA is a veiled fight-back to some artists.
But, according to Hood, even though his song might appear like a beef, it merely is a response to fans’ view that he has been hibernating for long.
“I want to let them know when the time is right for me to shine it will surely happen with less efforts.”
Hood also lamented the challenges facing emerging artists. “It’s difficult to captivate promoters with just your talent; many promoters wouldn’t be interested in closing a deal with you if you haven’t hit the spotlight yet,” he added.
However, with all the challenges in the industry, Hood is bent on taking over the stage.
A2 Di Fulani King details project for 2021
Gambia’s finest reggae dancehall artist A2 Di Fulani King has given detailed accounts about his upcoming project for this year.
Speaking to Standard Lite, the award-winning dancehall king said he has already worked on songs in his yet-to-be-released album.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, many plans have been rescheduled or cancelled but the star has introduced an exceptional way to entertain and keep connecting with his fans without physical interaction called the Fulani flow and he has been gaining an astonishing number of views on YouTube.
“I have a lot of songs. Anyone who knows me will know that I play music. I can record ten songs here and it doesn’t affect me at all. I have seen my fans have been patient waiting for a long time and that was why I came up with the Fulani flow. It is some weekly episode videos that I upload on YouTube to keep entertaining my fans. I have been doing it for a month now and every Friday, I release an episode.
“I have two sets of fans, which include adherents to Afro dancehall riddim and raw version or the hardcore dancehall.”
A2 is part of the first artistes to be signed into 220Records, which is owned by a Gambian based in Denmark. It is a record label based in The Gambia.
Gambian-Nigerian actress Rosy gives birth to baby
boy, receives brand-new 2021 SUV from hubby!
Gambian-Nigerian Nollywood actress, Rosy Meurer has given birth to a baby boy with husband Olakunle Churchill.
In celebrating this joyful moment, Rosy took to her Instagram page to share her excitement about becoming a mom and also revealed the name of their son.
She wrote: “The first day of your life was the best day of mine. Welcome KING CHURCHILL JNR, you are my greatest blessings and pride. Thanks for making me a mother, God is involved.”
In recent updates on her IG page, she revealed that she got a present from her husband Olakunle Churchill; a brand new 2021 Lexus SUV LX570 and congratulatory messages. She wrote: “PUSH GIFT JUST ARRIVED, THANK YOU BABY.”
International visual artist Charmaine to introduce her art to Gambia
International visual artist Charmaine Minniefield will introduce her art to The Gambia at 6pm on March 18th at Mitzy Hotel, located at the Palma Rima Junction.
Motivated by living in The Gambia for over one year, Minniefield has embarked on a number of projects.
A renowned artist in Atlanta, Georgia, before coming here, her work consisted of preserving Black narratives by creating public art in communities affected by gentrification and erasure. She completed numerous community murals and was commissioned by the City of Atlanta to create murals honouring the unsung heroines of the Civil Rights Movement. Her work also included projection mapping and site-specific installations.
Her purpose in The Gambia has been to connect to her ancestral roots through art and the indigenous creative traditions of history. Using indigo pigment, oyster shells to make paint, and mahogany, Charmaine has been painting new bodies of works. These new works bridge her African American experience with her new African experience, reaching back historically to move forward.
Charmaine has been creating a 9 canvas painting series which is an ode to the female ancestral deity Oya. Her work can be seen in a documentary on YouTube directed by Olimatta Taal and co-directed by Wurry Jallow called Charmaine Minniefield: Artist Residency in The Gambia. She also created a transcontinental art collaboration between The Gambia, dancers in Atlanta, and Flux Project.
In addition to the art, Charmaine loves working with young people and will work with 6 youth to create a mural in Tallinding with Smiling Coast Foundation. Three will be young artists who look forward to building a career in Arts and 3 trainees. Together they will paint a mural on a 500ft wall in the heart of Tallinding on the Youth Center wall to be finished by April 15th. This mural will change the environment into a more creative and artistic one.
RSVP to attend the Charmaine Minniefield Art Exhibit at Mizy Hotel on March 18h at 6pm at 220-250-9257. Refreshments will be served. Stay COVID safe and wear your mask.
