I am very annoyed about having my Gambia-L post of 13 March republished without consent, out of context and heavily misquoted by Kairo News on 22 March.

On 25 March Suntou Touray informed me about KN's republishing and broadcasting of my post.

I immediately submitted a comment to the KN article,  expressing my annoyance and as well as rectifying their misquotes.

Typically my comment was NOT published…

I find it very unprofessional and unethical to rip off content without the author's permission or even his/her knowledge.

It makes me also very wary of sharing my thoughts on a online list such as Gambia-L from now on. 

Below my comment that KN didn't post.  They are welcome to rip it off  and republish it.   

Gambia’s Music Guru Fights Back

I am very annoyed to meet a post of mine republished without consent, out of context and heavily misquoted, as "Gambia's Music Guru Fights Back" on Kairo News.

To start with, please do not call me "music guru". Stick your inflated Mickey Mouse titles on people who badly need them to make up for their lack of substance.  "Veteran musician" will just do.

As to "fighting back": fighting whom or what? I am only exposing people's ignorance, fighting their ignorance would be a lost battle from the outset.

My post was published on the Musigam Facebook site in reaction to statements by its board members on their Souncloud site. That is a very specific context.

Being personally implicated, I felt entitled to set the record straight as to the past, to which they themselves hark back with total disregard for the facts. 

I never "wondered why" they are demonizing the 70's musicians. I did not call it "a demonstration of their resentment, etc."  Just stating the fact that they invariably blame others for their problems.

I was not "disappointed that I received total silence from The Gambia". My actual phrasing: "Total silence from The Gambia". 

In fact I didn't even seek publicity - perfectly happy with being acknowledged by Nelson Mandela, Wally Badarou, Miriam Makeba, the top of African music before a 300 mil. TV audience.

Just taking it as an text book example of the lack of interest when something relevant happens, which could have encouraged fellow Gambian musicians.

I definitely did not "blame" fellow artists for their failure to endorse my 1996 open letter. Just pointing out that they chose themselves to ignore attempts to improve the situation.

 

I did not challenge Musigam on sacrificing "their" start status. Not sure whether any of them boasts a star status in the first place, or even a musical status. 

I never "urge" wannabe musicians to learn to work themselves to the bone - on the contrary I tend to advise to seek a more profitable and easier way to make a living than music. In that vein I am warning that they have to learn = understand that one needs to work oneself to the bone to eke a subsistence out of a music career. Adding: "5000 likes feed your ego big time, 150 paid gigs a year feed your family - just."

Mr. Saidykhan and Kairo team, with due respect for your efforts, but the audience would be better served with accurate and relevant articles. 

Writing grammatically correct sentences would also contribute to a better understanding.

I find it very unprofessional and unethical to rip off content without the author's permission or even his/her knowledge.

It makes me also very wary to share my thoughts on any online list from now on.    

I agree with Lafia Touray's comment.

Many Gambians are stuck in a 70's musical time warp, oblivious that the musicians themselves have long since moved on in different directions.

A link to the Musigam's Facebook site would have sufficed, freeing up space for more relevant content.

Such as the tragic loss a few days ago of BUBACARR ETU NDOW, one of The Gambia's greatest artists.  See his Facebook https://www.facebook.com/etu.ndow?fref=pb&hc_location=friends_tab