Journey Of Young Gambian Actor From Sandy Streets Of Brufut To Starring In Nollywood Movies With Award-winning Nollywood Superstars

By Landing Ceesay

The journey of Musa Darboe Junior, a 24-year-old Gambian actor, scriptwriter and the youngest film producer in the country who rose from the sandy streets of Brufut to featuring in 3 Nollywood movies alongside award-winning Nigerian superstars is an interesting one.

Musa Darboe Junior, born in an extended family in Brufut in the Kombo North, West Coast Region is the founder / CEO of Bru’s Stars Movie Production he established in 2017.

 “The reason behind Bru’s Stars Movie Production is that many upcoming actors and actresses will text me that they want me to help them pursue their acting career. They said they have texted and communicated to many [other] directors and producers but they would not respond to their messages. So, I felt their pain. That’s why I subsequently opened a production call- Bru’s Stars Movie Production to give chances to upcoming actors and actresses to showcase their talents in the Gambia,” he told Kerr Fatou the purpose of the initiative.  

The young actor was contracted by a Gambian based in Germany and owner of BK West United FC to produce a movie titled- Tale of Best Friends, a football movie, the project he worked on in the Gambia before he left on 14th May 2021 for Federal Republic of Nigeria, the home to many Nollywood superstar actors and actresses.

Musa has produced another movie, which is titled ‘Jongfolo’ and is already done but yet to be released.

He produced the movie ‘Jongfolo’, which portrays the suffering and the subsequent rise of a motherless child by the name ‘Jongfolo’.

Jongfolo’s mother died shortly after giving birth to her. She was left in the care of her dad who could not take care of her as a baby.  Her father named her Jongfolo and gave her to his sister, Mbasuntu [Jongfolo’s aunt] for care.  Mbasuntu has two beautiful daughters, Mariama and Isatou.  Jongfolo was born crippled and her aunt maltreated her. One of Mariama’s daughters, Isatou joined her mother in maltreating the child. Jongfolo suffered a lot under her aunt’s care but endured everything and whenever her dad visited would tell him everything was fine.

One day, a rich and handsome man, Malick, visited the village and heard someone sing in the bushes with a melodious voice. He went to find the singer with a voice so thrillious that he had never heard before. After his search, the singer was in fact Jongfolo.

Then love from the first sight was forthcoming in the rich man, and from the spot, Malick fell in love with Jongfolo and visited her dad, discussed with him and paid her bride price. Subsequently, the duo were pronounced husband and wife. The rest of Jongfolo’s life was happiness. However, her cousin Isatou lost her mind and then her mother too which made the rest of her life miserable.

The other movie Musa was working on before his remarkable trip to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to feature in Nollywood movies with award-winning Nigerian film stars such as Destiny Etiko, King Paul, Jerry Williams and Denilson Igwe in a movie titled- the Tale of Best Friends.

The young Gambia actor’s participation in the aforementioned movie was based on the invitation extended to him by a Nigerian producer to shine in the Nollywood Industry in Nigeria. The 24-year-old is currently in Nigeria to act in films. So far, he has featured in three different movies alongside the mentioned big-name Nollywood superstars. The three movies the Brufut-born featured are Blood & Promise; Save a Soul; and Unknown.

Asked about the benefit of his interaction with the award winning Nollywood film stars; Musa Darboe Jr, said the interaction would boost the Gambia movie industry.

“My involvement with Nollywood superstars will take the country’s film industry to another level as most of the superstars don’t even know as to whether there’s a film industry in Gambia or not; but [through] my interaction with these Nollywood superstars, they realized that there is an industry in Gambia. When sponsors are available, these Nollywood superstars two or three could come to the Gambia and make a collaboration that will boost the country’s movie industry like how they aided Ghanaian industry,” Darboe Jr stated.

Talking about the challenges he faced in the career, Darboe Jr  cited financial challenges, but recognised the assistance some Gambians abroad rendered him occasionally.

“I have been facing [a] financial challenge since I commenced my career. We all know how Gambia is, a movie can never be produced without money, and I am not working. But regardless of the financial challenge, I have been very consistent with producing blockbuster films. A Gambian based in the USA by the name Ousman Manjang, a native of Gunjur has been very supportive. He’s been supporting me in all the films I produced. Ousman Manjang had contributed [in my movie] an ‘African American Wachena’ which made my Nollywood dream come to reality. Other people who are also very supportive to my career are Terryann, Bintou Ann and Willan. All of these people really supported me. Mariama Jack, a Gambia based in the USA , also supported me in producing my films,” Musa Darboe Jr, told this medium.

Musa Darboe Jr, became the latest Gambia to feature in the Nollywood movies, joining Princess Shyngle, a Ghana based Gambian actress.

Musa Darboe Junior, the 24-year-old Gambian actor, scriptwriter and the youngest film producer in the country and the founder / CEO of Bru’s Stars Movie Production who was born in Brufut in the Kombo North, West Coast Region went to Scanaid Nursery School from 2003 to 2004; Brufut Lower Basic School from 2005 to 2011; Brufut Upper Basic School 2010 to 2014 and Scanaid Senior Secondary School 2014 to 2017 before venturing into film industry.