Thank you Mr.Faal for a great historical piece. Good history lesson.
Much Respect.




The History of The Gambian Griots
A lesson in Culture and Revolution

"The Music as a reflection of our emotions (political,cultural and
social) is our way of love and communication with the almighty and the
Universe"
An unedited version

Oko Drammeh

Where are the Christian griots. "Aunty how much for your Kola"
I have cleary see that most of the griot tradition is inter twingled
with Arabic and Persian culture all the way to mongolia.Asia.With the
coming of cable TV you can see and hear a lot of Music and songs close
to West African music on Turkey TV and many middle eastern stations. We
have to revisit our history.Chiek Anta Diop thought that it was very
instrumental to study our history, from what we were in the time of the
Founding of Islam and Christianity and use thoes sources to authenticate
our history. The Islam is widely heard in the Xalam -Scale, the wollof
,the drumming and the dancing,and in Fulani singing, infact and the
Mbalax beat.I heard this in Turkey.I could not believe that" Geen-Tay"
Chere ak ndawal" was from Arabia. After singing a lot of James Brown
songs (like Baram -dama,bottom dollar)  and Beatles song in my own
African way (like Lamin Jeng would sing it in The Whiter shades of pale
by Procul Harum in" Cherno Wadda") and felt good This was an element
that the islam patched in the heart of our culture.To seperate The
Griots and the traditional arabic life style makes the tradition just
like pagan rituals in Chrisstinity.Are we singing the wrong song? Or do
we have to wipe the board and start from scratch.

The Sudan /our cultural landscape
Thr Drammeh's as teachers used to go to Arabia as teachers through Aswan
The name Darham has a close link with the name Dar -ham-Ahmed.Aswan was
the place where blacks meet whites. In Aswan you can buy slaves and
wives(as much as you want), men came from The sourth south of Saudi
Arabia to MARRY boys.The tribe of lot in north Yemen and in Saudi Arabia
do marry with young boys.The so'called Janja- weeds are desert gangsters
but have no historical with the imperial manach aqnd the Children of
Abdul Wahab the founding father of the house of Saud..The rich Arabs
that bought Oasis of water in the desert and kill poor black farmers who
violate or tresspass the properity.This is long time story totally
different with the Arabic-fisication of Africa.The janja -weed is
wasnever the porblem. The Arabic islamic expansion is the problem.War to
protect water is what the janja weed is doing, they are brothers to the
Tutsi. This is different from the royal kingdom of Saudi supporting the
government for the Muhammad Bassir.Now in Khartoum the Tosca-project is
on to dig out the history of Nubia Blacks by a rich Arabs man one Mr.
Talall to re-discover Nubia but also as an Arab settlement like the
Gaza.This part of Black Africa will not be easily handed back.Since
Egypt also allowed these American churches a few years ago. They are
following the tail of the serpent down to the heart of Sudan.But thes
essence is that the escavation is going to bring back the Arab Culture
in the Heart of Nubia. Mali wes known as Sudan and West Africa Western
Sudan..I lived in Sudan with my grandmother Mam Jallow who was married
Pa Sory then(1957).Most of our ancestor are in Sudan.The Dinkas , how
far is it from The Dinka to Man-Dinka. Black man know your history.We
are Arabs both Muslims and christians.We have been hal;f changed in the
course of what is original abour us the children of God.

The Finnahs/ A Rappwer with a mike, without political ideology is a lose
canon.
They are the truth seekers they are like Rappers, Infact Hallie Salassie
had a Finnah as well as Bob Marley and many gurus and monguls.They
represent the hard facts and cornerstone evidence of the kings ruling.
The king would ask a Finnah to sign his signature and decide what is
truth or false.The Finnah was the word of the king.Modou Musa Njie also
had Finnahs.In Kabu Kansala the Finnahs were in the courtship as
councillors as well. It is a good thing to have rappers with IDEOLOGY(
butto rap in local langauges to convey positive into the community.
Kocce Barma and anta and the Late Matarr Ngaja Joof were natural
knowledge seekers.Senghore the poet, was not amused by the thrills of
Shiek Anta,asregarded Chiek Anta, he did't have good work for the first
ever President of Senegal Mr. Momodou Dia,the socialist and his entorage
which included Wall Jojo Njie, Chiek Anta Diop,Birago Diop and the rest.
A poet can be a pen assassin. A griot can also be manuipilated like a
finnah.Only what the king wants to hear.You have to sometimes whisper
the facts truth and rights to the finnah and with a smile can forward it
to the king. A finnah would always strike first.

The Song Saliya
The praise of The instrument Koring- Bato, the instrument now known as
the kora.is  The Koring-bato."Koring bato -be Kuma la -Sayliya" !
This  was the lamentation tune played when the children of the kings
were crying.and needed attention.TheNyanchos were  also praised but
differently with lighter lyrical content (like in Chedo) and they do no
work but to be praised and prepared for War from the clans of
Sanneh,Manneh and Sayang .These songs were performed jalis.The Jali is
more public as a Gewel.The Finnah is more personal to a king or courtship.

The Bala Fon (g)
The Story of Balla Fasege is a folkoric tale,Bala was a Joberteh.He was
the griot of Sumangru Konte.He played the balafon (xylophoe) as a
foutune teller of The King Soumanguru.One day,he played the Bala while
Sumanguru was in ballttle and Sumanguru felt it.He came home and asked
him to confess that he did use the magical instrument vaguely and Bala
confessed "YES".He was sentenced to played for punnishment for hours
unending day after day for quoete a while.This is how he got the name
sBala Fe -se -ge which means sit down and play (bala Fa-sege). He was a
Joberteh but he played a Balafon. Jali Madi Wuleng Joberteh who invited
the 21 string instrument.This was around 400 years ago.He imporovised
the Sun'e and broaden the calabass, and pierced a longer pole throught
the kora to make it complete with four musical scales which are the
Swata,The sylba,the hydarin (oriental) and tomoraba.The Kora grandfather
was jali Madi wuleng,he handed over to the great grand father of Tata
Dinging Jali Wandifeng.He wrote most of the kora songs sang by
Soundillou and Lalo Kebba.The mother of Jaliba Kuyateh is from the
Family of Wendefeng Jobarteh.The Susos,the joberteh and the Sahos are
kora Julos and the Kanutehs, Kuyateh and Koitas are Balafong players

The Jali not griot (Griot is french)
When Janke wali the last king of Kabu summoned his griots in
anticipation of the war to end war.,all griots with his most talents to
migrate with the kistory of Kabu to The Gambia river.He also asked the
wives of The Nyanchos to follow (only a few ) they ladies refused to go
and hanged on their Jimibi -hair and committed suicide by hanging from
their dreads by prefering death in the place of facing defeat and
becoming skaves to the Arabs. The Arabs are not our friends blackman.

Colonialism on The Arts of Jali Kunda
Many African musicians and griots were singing song that were written
bty the government house in Banjul and supplied to the griots. They
would write in English and the griots will translate them in wolof ,fula
and Manding.I have a tape interview with Ya Mundow Jobe one of the
leading singers in the Gambia that sang many of these  the government
songs.A popular one was how to go to The capital of Senegal in
Ndarr"Chaya nel Tek ,Suma dem Ndarr Hoti Tubaye". Our National ASnthem
is even an extract of Devil music with Gothic acents .It was sang by
Bansang Joberteh with Fode Kaba Flavour but when Mr.Pye got it he change
it to pagan music.Our national Anthem is pagan ritual music.Wish it was
only Kora or a recogniasable classical local tune that is a part of past
present and future of The  GAMBIAN.

Coffin for head of state ( A sample song by Fela)
Muslim in England and America can sing whatever they want to.They have
the protection of democracy and the first adenment in The US
constitution ,for example the new Jill scott CD,the Bill Clinton sister
Souljah drama and public enemy "By the time I get to Phioenix"
bvideo.These song are politically charge and sever a nerve to confront
the establishment in a monster scale. They made new headlines.Bullets
for Elephants.This is Rap.You have to be conscious to be a voice.
The Artist in Africa who serve long jail terms like Thomas Mapfumo for
chanting Rhodisia's Ian Smith, Mamar Owanga of Cameroun who was almost
beheaded by President Ahijo thugs and the repeated brutality on Fela
Kuti.,the brutal shooting of Bob Marrley in Kingston for anti-CIA
lyrics,The list is long.The artist have always counted on the masses to
come to their defense in time of danger.They have a duty to stay alive
and move the art and forward and extend the courses and  streching our
librerties.The ideological awareness one has to reach to realise this
is  is not aviable in the Gambia.You will bve beaten,your head broken
and your house on fire and no onev will stand upm.UI was there with
Ifangbondi with "The Prices are rising and the children are starving.It
broke us down.No one resisted

We have been thricked by Theocracy.

Oko Drammeh
Where is the Blackman Paradise.

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