Due to the political situation in Gambia at the beginning of 2017 the Kartong Festival last February was a very low-key affair. This came on top of the previous dreadful year, when the whole of West Africa was very badly affected by the tragic Ebola outbreak in several countries resulting in a massive drop in tourists visiting the area. The Gambia is now thankfully back to its normal peaceful state and we anticipate a return of visiting tourists and local people to buy tickets to attend.

Global Grooves will be working with Kartong Festival Committee and the local schools and communities to help them develop their festival into a sustainable event that supports the entire community. But we need help to do so. The main challenge will be to raise the funds for the festival expenses this year. These expenses include preparing the venue, the sound system, artist fees, food and accommodation for artists traveling from other areas, electric power, advertising, ticket printing etc.