By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
Ebrima Boye, a young, prolific Gambian poet, has confirmed that he will storm the country’s literary and artistic terrain with the launch of his debut poetry spoken word album in July 2022.
Known popularly as Mentor Boye, the prolific poet and 2020 University of The Gambia students’ Union’s ‘most prolific writer’ award winner is set to follow in the footsteps of Cherno Gaye and Omar Champion Cham by coming up with a poetry album titled “The Baton Exchange (TBE).”
The album, according to the poet, covers virtually all facets of society including rape, youth empowerment and maternal mortality. The poetry album is aimed at bringing positive changes and a call for unity and development.
“This poetry album will bring about positive attitudinal change, proffer solutions to many societal challenges and pave a new route in the minds of the young people in embracing all the core values of society from peace to development,” Mentor Boye told The Fatu Network (TFN).
He explained that it is time for him to move from just writing to going on stage and effect changes through poetry in its most creative fashion. The prolific poet outlined that he reckons that his words can heal wounds and provide solutions to certain societal problems.
” I have been performing at events for almost two years now. I believe it is now time to compose my spoken word poems centred on salient themes to send my messages out there. It is now time for me to be on stage and to fulfil my advocacy for a better country where unity, diversity and development will be the focus of every young Gambian,” he explained.
Ebrima Mentor Boye has over 100 poems in the last 24 months. The young poet developed a lust for writing and poetry dating back to his upper basic school days. However, Ebrima started writing and publishing his poems when he entered the University of the Gambia three years ago as a result of his growth in the genre.
Mentor Boye does his spoken word pieces in both English language and his native language, Wolof.
He has disclosed that he will launch this much-anticipated “The Baton Exchange” poetry album on the 2nd of July at Jama Hall in Senegambia.
