The Mandingmorry Foundation for Performing Arts (MANFOPA) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan charitable organization formed by patriotic Gambians with the main aim of enhancing professionalism, building capacity and creating opportunities for livelihoods in the performing arts.
MANFOPA with funding from the Roskilde Festival Charity Society in 2012 established the 1st professional music school called Mandingmorry Academy of Music located at the Redrcoss Building in West Field Cooperative. Twenty (23) students were awarded with FREE scholarships to study basic music knowledge at for fourteen (14) months of covering music theory, vocal lessons, arts and culture studies, guitar, drum sets, and keyboards which forms the basic understanding of how to sing, play and compose and write quality music. In March 2014, the academy graduated the 1st batch of the 16 students. The next intake of students will be in January 2015.
Sequel to the above, Mandingmorry Entertainment will be organizing the 2nd Edition of the ReggaeKunda Festival 2014 as part of fundraising activities to support the operational cost of the Mandingmorry Academy of Music (MAM). The show is scheduled on the 28th of November 2014 at the Serre Kunda West Mini Stadium starting 8pm and D50 tickets.
We intend to use the music academy project to create a new means of youth employment and empowerment for youths interested in earning a livelihood from the music and creative industry. The Gambia created economic benefit of more than 12 Million Dalasis to foreign musicians contracted for performance between 2011-2013. It is our aim that in 3yrs, the music academy will produce musicians and talents that will be able to compete internationally and produce quality music for public consumption to reduce influx of foreign musicians.
The main aim of the provision of a music school is to enhance the various phases of the music industry ranging from talent nurturing, quality sound recording, producing, promoting, performing, marketing and merchandizing and the ability to stage national and international festivals / concerts all protected by the copyright law as a regulatory system to create employment for young people.
The theme for this year's festival is ‘‘Culture of Peace''. We want to use music as a tool and weapon for promotion of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence.
Our main mission is to have a well-equipped music school established as an incubation centre for youths interested in earning a livelihood through the music and creative industry. We urge all Gambian and non-Gambians to come out and support this noble initiative. For support and partnership with the Mandingmorry Academy of Music, kindly email: [email protected] and visit www.mandingmorry.org