On the occasion of the Labor Day, celebrated on May 1, the humorist Mame Balla Mbow delivered a poignant message to all the artists in Senegal. Stressing his own experience, after leaving a stable job at Dakar Dem Dikk to devote himself to his passion, dance, Mbow draws attention to the difficulties of the artist’s profession in the country.
The artist warns against the illusion of buzz, this tendency to seek ephemeral fame without security guarantee. He denounces the insecurity inherent in informal art and calls for a real professionalization of the artistic sector, thus hoping for just remuneration for artists. According to him, the time of “art for art” is over. Now, he encourages art to consider art as a livelihood.
This message was relayed following a reading on the site of our colleagues from Kawtef, where the artist insists on the need for adequate recognition and valuation of artistic work, in order to guarantee a more stable future for all creators.
In summary, Mame Balla Mbow wishes a paradigm shift in the way artists are perceived and remunerated in Senegal, thus pleading for an artistic sector turned towards the future and economic sustainability.
