As stated  in the previous editions of this column, the word culture means the belief, way of life, customs, values and ideals that are shared and accepted by a people in a paticular society. Culture is often regarded by many as the identity card of an individual person. A person without any feeling of belongingness would be like a tree without roots in order to have a supportive life on this planet. It is not a supprise to see people the world over preoccupied with a sense of belonging or relating to a particular society and its way of life.

The Gambia is blessed with peaceful, hospitable and very tolerant people. Culture plays an important role in our daily lives. Its importance cannot be overemphasised. "The Gambia and her sister Caribean country of Jamaica share a lot incommon. The Gambia and Jamaica are almost the same in terms of size, population, history, culture, music linquistics, food, just to name few'', said Olimatta Taal, a renowned Gambian Journalist, music promoter, and civil rights activist, based in Kingston, Jamaica.

Olimatta Taal made these remarks in a  recent  chat with arts and culture, at the end of the recently concluded 9th edition of the International Roots Festival, held from 3Oth May to June 7th 2008.

Olimatta Taal, in an enthusiastically high  spirited and hopeful  mood,  did not hesitate to calling on the Gambian authorities to open an Embassy in Jamaica. She backed up  her assertion on various grounds such as the need to map out and identify potential areas of investment in the economies of both countries, which development, according to her, is in line with the aims and objectives of the Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency, to facilite possible exchange visit between the university  and other higher institutions of learning in the Gambia, and their Jamaican counterparts. This she linked to the need for the artists of the two countries to also create a connecting link between the tourism industries of the two countries, among various other reasons.

According to Ms Taal, a Gambian Embassy in Jamaica would help  forge and exhibit numerous untapped opportunities, all touching on sustainable  culture, history, politics, social, economic and human development. She spoke at length on her love and  affection for the Gambia, her birth place.'' She added that she has been promoting the Gambia throughout the world, especially in Jamaica, USA, Uk, Europe and other African countries.

She stated out numerous occations when she had brought in some of the world's topmost flight artist and delegations of people of African descent, to either to on cultural music promotions, or to attend the International roots festival since, its inception in 1996, which is initiated by the Gambian leader and organise by the Department of state for tourism and culture, in collaboration with the National centre for arts and culture, the Gambia Tourism Authority and other stakeholders in the development, promotion and preservation of the spirit of arts and culture in the Gambia.

Olimatta Taal revealed that in the year 1994, she brought to The Gambia 20 students from the Youth Leadership Training Institute in the US, and that in 1997, she brought in 12 university students from the Spelment College and More house College in Atlanta. These visiting students, according to her, were accorded a warm welcome and subsequently awarded Gambian passports by the Gambian leader, President Jammeh. She went on to say that in 1999, she brought in the Suns of light to attend the roots festival, the visit ended up developing deep rooted connections between that delegation and their Gambian counterparts through inter-marriages and other networks.''I was part of the International roots festival committee in 2002 and I brought in many Jamaican artist for the event. I kept on bringing Jamaican and other top flight renowned international artist such as Junior Kelly, in 2006, among others," she said.

The Gambian Jamaican based artist and cross cutting  cultural promoter further revealed to the arts and culture desk that she is currently at the Kolongi records, the recording studio own and run by Sizzla Kolongi, and she added that she is also working on a quarterly magazine called the Black Magazine. This quarterly magazine, she noted, covers almost all issues affecting human survival on planet earth, especailly in Africa such as the need for poverty alleviation,Global unification, universal justice for all the oppressed in the world, "the magazine is full of social and music elements'', she said.

The erudite and some what indefatible Gambian-born Journalist recalled several articles she wrote on different issues throughout the world such as tourism and other related global issues.'' I am also working with the  ex-wife of Beenieman and Irie F.M  Radio Station in Kingston, the much listened-to F.M radio station in Jamaica'',she said.

The most beautiful aspect of the whole interview was the startling but melodious and shooting revelations that she is part of the team (Becks Promotions, Rebel T. and Kologi Records) that intended to bring the famous and undisputable, internationally acclaimed Reggae star of the time, Zizla Kolongi, to be accompanied by other top flight Jamaican artists, the likes of Coaco T, Jessey Jenda and others, to come  by the end of December, 2008. "It's going to be exclusive reggae explosion in the history of the  Gambia. I hope that Gambians would really appreciate to see some of the world''s top flight artist performing in different places in the country. The exclusive cross cutting cultural music show is all about connecting Africans and African descent back to the roots', she said.

A digestive and brief note from the arts and culture desk has it that, the International roots festival is cultural, historical and educative event dedicated to the promotion of the ideas of pan Africanism.The festival commerates the forced enslavement and transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribean.The International roots festival provides people of Africa and people African descent the golden opportunity to return to the land of their ancestral origin and reunite with their people in a truelly Gambian fashion.

The international roots festival is a unique global event for Africans in the diaspora to strengthen the pan African spirit and bonds of kindship and unity that binds all Africans and people of African descent. The roots festival is becoming the biggest black history, cultural and educational event on the Africa continet, which will further strengthen and consolidate unity amongst  Africans and encourage cultural tourism and financial  investment into Africa''s future.