Telling Societal Realities Through Poetry: The Making and Progress of Gambia’s Star Poet Omar ‘Champion’ Cham

Literature in The Gambia has been gradually expanding wide and fast. Poetry is one of its fastest growing forms in the country which mainly involves young people who use their melodious voices to evoke impactful messages through poem recitations. 

The secret to its expansion is credited to the manner the messages are composed and delivered by the young talents. They make sure that the content goes beyond a mere entertainment which normally sends hundreds of their audiences into amusement. 

“It’s quite important for people to know that the primary role of poetry is to inform. That is to educate, to serve wisdom and to let the people know that this is what is going on, [things that] should not happen and what we could be able to do to avert certain things that are going on in life,” said Omar Cham, alias Champion Poet.

Omar, 25, is generally admired by Gambians especially in recent times for his ability in the accurate word selection, flexible tone rhyming. He has won several accolades to his name. 

On the sidelines of the recently ended Tafcon event in Banjul, the young poet talks to The Chronicle about his beginnings, the importance of poetry in a democracy, the launch of his album as well as his legacy as a mentor.