Facts and Figures
- DDF Project Title
- Music Studio Skills
- DDF Fellow Reference Number
- DDF 29
- Partner in The Gambia
- Gambia Association of Music Producers and Promoters (GAMPP)
- Geographical Coverage
- Urban-Rural
- Period
- 2022 – 2023
- DDF Grant
- D300,000
- Cash Contribution
- D100,000
- In-kind Contribution
- D162,176
Challenges and Opportunities
The music industry in The Gambia is undergoing a major shift; prolifiration of budding recording studios, freedom of expression, unprecedented government, corporate and NGO support, and sold out live concerts among others. Solid local stars with international exposure now dominate the scene, and are enjoying cult following among the youth. Over 60% of The Gambia’s population is at most 25 years old (World Bank Blogs, June 13, 2023). Yet, it is also true that the industry is poorly organized and characterized by informality, poor understanding of the production and distribution processes, and lack of professional music training.
Alhagie Singhateh (Norway)
DDF 29
Alhagie Singhateh (A.K.A. Freaky Joe) is a veteran Gambian Afro-Manding, hip-hop, and reggae artist whose unique and melodious voice dominated the Gambian music scene in the mid to late 2000s. His energy and prolific work ethic brought him success previously unknown in his generation; international tours to North America and Western Europe, five albums to his name, numerous national awards, and an appearance on BBC’s famous morning programme “Network Africa.’’ He inspired many, including the current generation of Gambian musicians.
Sighateh holds a Bachelor of Arts (Degree with Honours) in Music Production and Sound Engeering at the School of Science and Technology in oslo, Norway. He owns a music recording studio in The Gambia, and dreams of leveraging his accomplishments to discover young talent, nurture their creativeness, and harness the economic potential of music in the creative economy.
‘’The DDF programme was oversubscribed, to the extent that many applicants could not be invited to participate.’’
~ Alhagie Singhateh, CEO.
‘’The project was designed for upskilling new trainees and providing mentorship. Nevrtheless, we had a tremedous response from amateurs and experienced artists alike. I was able to spot a few individuals I thought could potentially build a music career. I am working with them already, even after the conclusion of the DDF programme.’’
~ Alhagie Singhateh
About The Project
The project provides skill-based music education and mentoring.
The Music Production Process: Songwriting, pre-production, recording, editing, mixing and mastering processes.
At a granular level, these processes entail sound setup and studio techniques; instrument selection; vocal recordings; microphone techniques; understanding of Digital Work Station (DAW) and new softwares for music production, etcetera. Mixing and mastering can be quite complicated, requiring professional music education.
Distribution and Branding: Digital marketing and promotion cycle of the music eco-system. Most artists fail due to improper guidance and investment this area.
Mentorship programme: Nurturing talents and subcontracting qualified mentees to other studios and artists.
DDF Results and Impact
- Alhagie Singhateh is presently producing music for three previously unknown but talented artists. Each has a six-track album, scheduled for release before end of 2023.
| Name | Location | Genre | |
| Artist 1 | Star Njie | Banjul | Rap Mbalax in the wollof local language |
| Artist 2 | Adi Special | Tallinding | Afrobeat with a fusion of Mandinka Lyrics |
| Artist 3 | Jali Batch | Brikama | Purely cultural with an injection of Kora |
- The popularity of the programme, through word of mouth and online presence led to many requests for partnerships and collaborations. For instance, Singhateh got invited by one of the top private high schools in The Gambia, Marina International School, for a day’s session with students to share his experiences. Other schools have sent similar invites.
- Due to the popularity of the scheme, the recording studio got new contracts for sound mixing and mastering. These proceeds added to the cash contribution of project. In fact, one of the female trainees secured a paid weekly gig, by providing background vocals for some Gambian artists at home and abroad.
