Guinea-born musician Omar Keta frames ‘safari’ as survival and invites Missoula to dance

Omar Keta, introduced in the event's documentary segment and onstage, described arriving in Missoula in 2016 and using music and dance to build community and resilience.

"My name is Omar Keta. I am from Gimme, West Africa. I'm a musician," Keta said as he recounted cultural shock on first arrival and how local residents and organizations helped him adapt. Later in the panel he redefined the word "safari," saying the term for him meant survival and adapting: "Safari is survivable... so if you go somewhere... you have to survive to live by yourself."

Keta promoted Jabbara, a community African dance collective that offers weekly classes and plans performances at local venues and the university. He encouraged audience members to join classes at Movement Bar to learn dance and drumming, and reiterated that cultural exchange is reciprocal: newcomers share traditions while learning local customs.

Keta's remarks combined personal narrative with concrete invitations to cultural programming, underscoring how artistic practice serves as a pathway to belonging in Missoula.