George F. Gomez, Executive Director, Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) Promoter last Saturday awarded the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’. This award was in recognition for his contribution to the development of music, fashion, beauty and entertainment in The Gambia. The award ceremony was held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.

According to the citation, George F Gomez is a well-known personality in the entertainment business in The Gambia and the sub region.

George was the organiser of the 1st Miss competion in The Gambia a way back in 1963 when Mrs Juana Jahumpa Njie won the ‘Miss Banjul’ Competition.

In 1968 he became as the co-founder and president of The Gambia Friendship Society in London. He facilitated a visit to England by the Super Eagles Band.The Super Eagles Band from The Gambia was one of the first African Dance Groups to visit England in 1968 and again 1970. He arranged for the first Super Eagles records to be processed in England.The Super Eagles Band was a great success in England and later travelled and stationed in Germany.

In 1980 on his return from studies, he was elected president of Banzik International, a Senegambia youth organisation with branches in Banjul, Dakar and Ziquinchor. In 1983 following the establishment of the Senegambia Confederation, George initiated the organisation of Miss Senegambia Beauty Contest which The Gambia won 3 out of the 4 times the contest was held in Dakar, Banjul and Ziquinchor.

In 1988 Gomez Promotion was registered and Miss Gambia Beauty Contest re-established as the biggest contest in the country, followed by Miss Tourism, a popular competition which contributed to the enhancement of Tourism by involving the tourism stakeholders in the competition. Mr. George is now the lead consultant in Beauty Contest. He is consulted for all major beauty and talent contest held in this country e.g Miss Black USA, Miss Bakau, Face of Gambia, Miss Scholarship Pegeant, Miss Millennium, Miss Africa Beauty to name a few.

A happy George Gomez has this to say: “This is a very good programme which helps to encourage musicians, promoters, managers and everyone in the entertainment business to be more involved and serious in their trade. Programmes of this nature are held in all major countries in the quest to develop talents in their music and entertainment industry and Lamin Cham should be congratulated for taking up the challenge to start the awards again. The organisation was very good and very co-ordinated. It was well attended and for Gambian standard it started on time. The organisers must have done their research properly because all the awardees, most of whom I know very well, deserve their awards, and should be congratulated. Well done Lamin Cham and keep it up.”

These awards were started in 1998 by OBIOSO Williams in collaboration with Gomis Promotion and was held at the Palma Rima Hotel under the banner, “Gambia Music Awards.” It was reactivated by DJ Lamin Cham in 2008 under the banner, “Gamspirit Music Awards.”