By: Dawda Baldeh
As part of its 6th edition, the CineKambiya International Film Festival (CIFF) will screen a world acclaimed documentary on the Gambian salsa music legend, Laba Sosseh.
The documentary, El Maestro Laba Sosseh, will be screened this Friday, December 12th 2025, at the University of The Gambia School of Journalism and Digital Media (SJDM), Kanifing Campus, starting at 7pm GMT.
Directed by Macky Madiba Sylla and Lionel Bourgi, the film pays tribute to Laba Sosseh, a prolific singer and an emblematic figure of Afro Cuban music in Africa, often described as the African side of Cuban music. He died on September 20th 2007 in Dakar after a career spanning more than 45 years.
Ten years later, Sylla and Bourgi follow in the footsteps of Laba Sosseh, winner of the first Continental Gold Record in 1980. Their journey takes them from Dakar to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia where Laba Sosseh was born, and to Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, as they seek to understand and analyse the immense musical career of this multifaceted artist.
Through interviews with musicians, friends, and family of the maestro, the filmmakers explore how Cuban music arrived in West Africa, particularly Senegal, how it evolved over time, the role Laba Sosseh played in that evolution, and the legacy he left behind.
Explaining the motivation for dedicating a day to Laba Sosseh, CineKambiya founder Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, who lectures Film Studies at the University of The Gambia, said, “We are witnessing unprecedented advancement of creative freedom under the Barrow administration, with more young people showcasing their talents. It is imperative to expose them to the pioneers who cleared the pathways to the liberties they are enjoying today. CineKambiya International Film Festival is a prestigious platform for documenting and promoting our rich cultural products through audiovisual arts. We are fulfilling this mandate by teaching and preserving history.”
The theme for the 6th CineKambiya International Film Festival 2025 is “Empowering Youths, Reviving Our Culture Through Film Arts.” The programme includes films produced by SJDM Film Studies students and other young Gambian filmmakers.
By: Dawda Baldeh As part of its 6th edition, the CineKambiya International Film Festival (CIFF) will screen a world acclaimed documentary on the Gambian salsa music legend, Laba Sosseh. The documentary, El Maestro Laba Sosseh, will be screened this Friday, December 12th 2025, at the University of The Gambia School of Journalism and Digital Media The Fatu Network
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