I like Words

"I Like Words" is a beautiful and powerful expression of the love of words. It is a reminder of the importance of words and their power to shape our lives.

Spoken Word of Obama Onema was released on the self-titled album "OBAFA".

ABOUT OBAFA ONEMA

Obafa Onema is a young Gambian who is seeking to understand and navigate the opportunities, rights, politics, and the life he is faced with. His spoken word pieces are a powerful perspective on life in the Gambia, West Africa.

Obafa grew up in Busumbala, the Gambia, with his mother and eight siblings. When he was 15 years old, his father was killed in the war, leaving Obafa, the eldest male, as the head of the household. To provide for his family, he was forced to quit high school and get a job, ending his dream of becoming a medical doctor. Reading became his passion, and he writes continuously. Today, he works in construction as a day laborer. He is 24 years old.

Obafa is a talented and insightful writer. His spoken word pieces are both personal and political, and they offer a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of life in the Gambia. He is a powerful voice for change, and his work is an important contribution to the conversation about the future of the Gambia.

About Muhammed Dibbasey, Poet

Through his spoken word poetry, Dibbasey depicts a young man's struggles with failure, opportunity, and success in Gambia. His four poems, titled Sleepless Nights, They Say, Attitude, and I Like Words, express hope, frustration, and the impacts of Gambia's history of the slave trade and colonialism.

Dibbasey's story identical to that of Obafa Onema. A story of perseverance and self-made success. Growing up in Busumbala, one of Gambia's poorest neighborhoods, Dibbasey became the family's eldest male after his father died fighting in the war when he was only 15 years old. He abandoned his dream of becoming a doctor to support his mother and eight siblings, most of whom were orphans whose parents were killed in the same war as Dibbasey's father. Despite these challenges, he never lost hope and eventually started a record label and talent management agency, Cellular Vibrations, representing some of the top hip-hop, afrobeat, and afropop performers in the Gambia.

"OBAFA" is a brilliant reflection of Dibbasey's journey and the struggles he has faced. His works have received acclaim from artists and audiences alike, with some describing it as "a mind-blowing reflection of a dream of opportunity," and "an exciting reflection of the past of a young man navigating the present", says Max Barrett, Editor of OBAFA.

CREDITS

Voiceover: Obafa Onema
Produced by Cellular Vibrations in association with MaximillianGroup
Director: Muhammed Dibbasey
Executive Producer: Muhammed Dibbasey
Spoken Word: by Muhammed Dibbasey
Video: CottonBro
Film Editing: Max Barrett / MaximillianGroup
Art Direction: MaximillianGroup
Cover Art: Max Barrett / MaximillianGroup
Distributed by MaximillianGroup