By: Mohamed Sahr
mohamedsahrpro@gmail.com
All roads lead to the Africell Building Beach Front on Bendu’s Drive, Lumley, in the west Freetown as the fifth edition Freetown edition of the country’s premier entertainment festival, ECOFEST 2024 kicks off in grand style. Showcasing the absolute best in local and regional talents, this year’s festival promises a mix of dazzling performances in music, comedy, fashion and arts. Headlined “The Illumination,” the show focuses on shining a light on Sierra Leone’s artistic potential, while at the same time promoting cross-cultural partnership. Already, many festival goers are getting themselves ready for a cultural extravaganza which includes a star-studded line-up of entertainers from across Africa.
After a brief hiatus, ECOFEST 2024 is making a return with a renewed emphasis on connecting Sierra Leone and Africa to the global stage. Among the rich class of entertainers and crooners from across the continent are Ghanaian sensation, Jackline Acheampong, otherwise known as Gyakie, Nigerian harmonizer, Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka commonly called Chike, comedic geniuses, Brain Jotter and Mr. Sabinus (both from Nigeria), Hyce, Brown and others to do a rendition of the chart-topping, Ogechi song and many others. If this line-up is anything to go by, then attendees and spectators are definitely in for a delight of “Running to You” and “My Africa”. To make matters even more enthralling, local heartthrob, Drizilik will wow the crowd with some incredible performances. Along with performances from rising star, Incredible JJ, Freetown will be the place to visit this Christmas.
Established since 2018, ECOFEST has since grown to become Sierra Leone’s leading entertainment event and an important platform for homegrown artists to gain international exposure. In the build-up to this year’s event, the leadership of the Ecofest management team has changed hands, with founder and pioneer, Abu Bakarr Turay, handing over the reins to his wife, Hawa (popularly known as Hawawa) Turay, the former beauty queen and an entrepreneur in her own right. The new CEO has wasted no time in showing her readiness for the task ahead, by updating social media influencers and journalists that ECOFEST 2024 will feature a blend of comedy, fashion, DJs and Hype competition, musical concert, jam session, Miss ECOFEST competition, and a showcase of Sierra Leone’s culinary treats.
Abu Bakarr Turay, in an exclusive interview told the A-Z Magazine that Sierra Leone does not have a production problem anymore. “Our songs are good. Our talents are the best. What we need is visibility,” he added. Mr. Turay alluded that ECOFEST exposes our talents to the world. It’s an international platform that caters for some of Africa’s biggest to share their talents with those who are aspiring to be greater.
He revealed that Sierra Leoneans must understand that this is not a Kabaka or Hawawa affair. This is about putting our country on the globe and helping our talents develop. Urging that “We want peace. We want unity and love. But we also want the best of things enjoyed by others in other countries. We have created our own. Let us all Shine Together as the theme for this year,” the Pioneer of ECOFEST says.
Kabaka furthered that Comedy, fashion, food, DJs and Hype men competition are the new components and concepts added to the list.
Already hitting the hype train, the new CEO has confirmed that the winner of this year’s ECOFEST beauty pageant will be entitled to a fully paid, all-expense trip to Dubai and a cash envelope of Fifty Thousand New Leones (NLE50,000). Additionally, the first runner-up will bag home the sum of Twenty-Five Thousand New Leones (NLE25,000), while the second runner-up will take home a cash prize of Ten Thousand New Leones (NLE 10,000).
In all, Ecofest 2024 promises to illuminate the vibrancy of Sierra Leone’s arts and culture, while selling its much-heralded hospitality and warmth to the rest of the continent. Already, more than twenty superstars from across the sub-region have been confirmed to perform over the two-day period. What is not lost on this medium are the ambitions of Kabaka Multimedia Entertainment (KME) and the show’s organizers. Speaking in an exclusive interview with A-Z Magazine, Madam Hawa Turay summarised their ambitions thus: