Oumy Gueye, better known under the pseudonym OMG, uses her voice as a “weapon” to fight for the future of her country, Senegal, and its people.

A 31-year-old multi-awarded musician, OMG was born and raised in Senegal within the culturally rich Lebou community. Fascinated by Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, or even Céline Dion she started performing at an early age and released her first single – Hey Girl ! -at the age of 21 years old, in which she sings in French, English, and Wolof.

In her recently released album – Possible (2022) – OMG continues to spread awareness about subjects that matter to her. More than a singer, Oumy Gueye is an activist who fights for the future of her country. In her song Possible, she spread a message of hope, calling for the youth to stay in Senegal and work towards a better future for the country. With a weak state and lots of young, active people fleeing Senegal to chase better job opportunities elsewhere, the country’s economic growth is compounded. In her album, she also expresses special support for Senegalese women. As one of the few women on the urban music scene, she stands for women’s rights and denounces rape, undesired pregnancy, and female genital mutilation. In “Lionne Blessée”, she notably denounces domestic violence.

Continuing her engagement, Oumy Gueye has taken part in the COP28 in Dubai. With six other musicians and fifteen visual artists, she took part in the “My Sahel” initiative, which aims to raise awareness and funding for humanitarian action across West Africa’s Sahel Region through music, visual arts, and web3 technology. The Sahel region, of which Senegal is part, is one of the most severely affected by climate change. Combined with the effects of escalating conflicts, food insecurity, and widespread poverty, the Sahel region is currently facing one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian emergencies. With the Malian singers Vieux Farka Touré and Amadou et Mariam, Oumy Gueye performed “My Sahel” at COP 28 in which they raised awareness about the humanitarian crisis and addressed a message of hope for the young generation. Extreme heat, flooding, and drought have caused an increase in population displacement. A phenomenon that OMG has personally experienced since the sea rise destroyed the house of her grandparents. OMG believes strongly in the young generation not to repeat previous mistakes. As she said, “you need to believe in something before fighting for it” and thus she called on the young generation not to lose hope and to keep fighting for the future of Senegal.