Meet Gino Sitson, UNICEF’s Newest Goodwill Ambassador in Cameroon
Before his official
presentation in that capacity to press in Yaounde earlier this December, he had
dedicated his latest album, “Body & Voice” to street children and taught music
to a group of street children in the nation’s capital.
He says training children to
produce music is equal to training them to be happy and productive. “Music is
an expression of self. It gives you the feeling that you are who you are and
enables you to believe in yourself no matter the circumstances you find
yourself in” he said, adding that “I taught the children the same way I teach
in schools in the West, and it gives me satisfaction”
Felicite Tchibindat,Country Representative
of UNICEF in Cameroon, coroborated Gino Sitson views. She said there are
approximately 1500 street children in Yaounde living under deplorable and
distressful conditions. “When you watch these children sing or try to produce
music, you realise how far away it takes them from their worries at that
particular point in time. The learnig session organised in one of the street
children’s homes in Yaounde, gave them hope and joy.” She said.
The United Nations Chlidren’s
Fund in Cameroon, is engaged in reaching
out to street children from every part of the country.
“We want children from Garoua
Boulai, to know that they are open to the same opportunities as those who find
themselves in Yaounde. Children leave their homes for may reasons, especially
torture and abuse. Even when they are taken back to their parents, they still
return to the streets. It is everyone’s duty to look after these children”,
said Tchibindat.
The
Ambassador
Sitson says he understands
perfectly well that as a goodwill ambassador, he will have to travel to
Cameroon more often. He says, he has a soft spot for children and the opportunity
to become an ambassador for street children falls in line with his phylosophies.
He is a graduate of the Sorbonne
University in Paris, France, and holds among other degrees, a degree in
Ethnomusicology. He has co-performed on stage and records with other famous
musicians including the legendary Manu Dibango,Youssou N’Dour , Oliver N’Goma,
the late Lucky Dube and Papa Wemba of blessed memory.
His second album ‘Song Zin’
released in 2002 was among Los Angeles Times’ Top Ten Jazz CDs in 2002 and was
equally norminated for the Africa Kora Awards. Among Sitson’s awards are the World Music Chart Europe and RFI
Awards. He is a member of the American Chamber of Music and has
composed music for commercials and TV shows including Dora The Explorer, a
children’s TV show.
The multi-talented music
arranger and composer adds his voice to that of another celebrated musician of
Cameroonian origin, Sally Nyolo to advocate children’s rights and protection.
Sally Nyolo was on November 26, 2016 presented to press in Yaounde as UNICEF’s
goodwill ambassador for the fight against early marriages and their negative
impact on the girl child.
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