"Even though the regime do not support the bands outright"-Mrdgny (c) 2004

-------- Original Message --------
Recharge the Arts

By
Oko Drammeh

No Documentation of our past,present and future artists.
There is no official way to get a clean and edited version of the old
Ifangbondi recordings and also Gelewarr recordings. Most of the band
recordings that are recorded during dances and shows are not for public
use but for the band members to study from these tapes the quality of
their performances.It is these tapes that are circulating but not to the
approval of the musicians. They are not sure of what is on thoes tapes
and the performances were not for public broadcast. But people found
ways to record the bands. They would sometimes stand on a box or a
Push-Push outside the hall or where ever and the wind will drive the
sound to their tape cassette decks.

Who Kill The Arts?
The Ifangbondi band had a piece of Land the at Tobacco road from The
former regime to start the recording studio and  a dancing hall. Later
the government took it back and sold it to Alhaji Momodou Musa Njie.They
(Ifangbondi) had in mind to record all their fabulous tunes and to
record other atrists and Radio Gambia artist as well as Hewareh
performing Artists.There were the small bands like Sofa Nyama band,
Sayerr Na-Mbow With Kayndo (now Modou Lamin) in Sere Kunda, Balafong
Band (ousman Beyai and Hadim) ,Chossan Band (Manka Suso and Pa Ngum)
Magadan Band, Kunta Kinteh Band of Sukuta, Terru Bi Band of
Barra,Ifangbondi juniors(kebba Taylorand friends) ,etc There are many
many basnds in the Gambia (even today) who have no instruments, no place
to perform and no work for income to feed theie family ,send their
children to school and to see a doctor. I am opening an office in Banjul
to work on this and to enlighten the government in a way that I can
succeed to have them join me in the quest to relive the better days. I
have already made the first steps and they are looking good. There is no
other way in Africa than to patiently drive your point to convience the
government for partnership in the Arts. It is an expenve business and
only the government can subsidise this suffuciently. Only the government
can make it happen.

The Catalogue of Gambian Music
There was a catalogue already of over 50 albums in titles in our Daii
maga catalogue and by now there would have been over 500 Album cassettes
and CD out from the Gambia. We had a recepie and a format to make all
our recordings exportable and we will follow up with new artists each
week and each month, touring Europe and America promoting these
products.We have contacts and connections.But we the artists are treated
like VAGABONS by the bureaucrates Here comes the class struggle again
!The artists would have been better off by now if we had a Minister who
know the world of Arts and Entertainment.We do not need a PROFESSOR in
the post. The Gambian Artists who are dead and gone forever would have
been alive today if there was a programme for them and a cultural
agenda. They would have been making money and taking care of their
families and their health.

Womanising the WIVES of the Artists by  backers.
Some Artists were so denied and pushed back that they were too poor and
demoralised that some notable government civil servants were chasing the
humble wives of these poor musicians,untill The mayor of Banju l(at one
time) stole the wife of the singer of The Magadan Band. I know many
people in The gambia today who were bent on refusal and denial and the
destruction of Ifangbondi and Gambian music and musician. A little bit
of their CLASS struggle to be someone in Banjul.
Who Kill the Arts in the Gambia and Robbed the Artists thier lives for a
decent livelihood ? Who understanestimated the fortunes and the wealth
the Arts can bring into any country ? or is it that because our slave
masters are selling Arts and making money that is why we dare not to
touch it because .It is a European business ( the master have tamed us
not to mess with what is his). No wonder all the African Artist would
spread their hands for help from a french man,an Englishman or a
patapar'e monkey but not to an African. I have my experiences as a
producer and festival organiser.Their confidence have been broken and
weakened. Africans need a recharge.

Golden Baobab Recordings
The Music business in Senegal took shape only because the son of
President Senghore,Francis Senghore started a recording company called
Golden Baobab.There was Starr Band Kasse but they were local and did not
have the tecnology and the money. Golden Baobab was the first
professional recording studio in the sub-region.Francis Senghore brought
in a complete professional sound and lighting system and generators that
nothing could stop the show (his business) . He organised a six months
Jazz Festival in Dakar and all the record companies and recording
artists were there.This opened the international door to Senegalese
music.He worked with Boston School of music graduate guitarist Dodou
Doukureh and Stevie Wonder sound engineer Abdoulie Soumareh. The opened
a second studio in Ivory Coast and Started the Ebony Band and also
introduced one Alpha Fofana (later Alpha Blondy). This time Ivory Coast
was the French capital of African music. The combination of Film and
Music gave Senegal the lead over Ivory Coast recently and the french
music business was relocated to Dakar. This time around many Senegalese
business people were educated in the music business and started their
own studios in Dakar with the help of French cultural subsidies from The
European Community and from the french copyright office SASEM. We do not
have this. We are asleep here.We do not know how to go about this.

YET STILL WE ARE PRETENDING AND WAITING FOR A FAKE HALF- BAKED EUROPEAN
EXPERT TO COME BY AND THEY WILL GIVE HIM THE CONTRACT TO SKIN US. BUT
NOT TO AN AFRICAN OR A GAMBIAN. AFRICAN ONLY HIRE WHITES. IT'S
PRESTIGE.!!!!!!!!!!!

Money From President Senghore
Francis Senghore and the team of Golden Baobab staff came and lived with
us in the Gambia I lived with Abdoulie Sumareh and Dulureh (at
Kelebess/Bakau). They brought in Johnny Secka the Senegalese promoter
who brought to Dakar The Jackson 5 and James Brown to Banjul.He stayed
at Apollo Hotel. We were a fanatical team of Young African promoters
ready to take the world.Ifangbondi thought that they were the best band
in the world. They believed in this and no one could change that.With
Francis Senghore their was enough money to invest in what it takes. He
is a musician and his father gave him an open -checque (chrispy
dollars). This is the infrastructure that Youssou Ndour, Baba Maal and
The Ivorian superstar Alpha Blondy is enjoying. Golden Baobab guys also
recorded and introduced Mory Kante and Toure Kunda.They were partners
for years to Music promoter Momodou Johnny Secka who we know very well
too and lives in America. When late Johnny Secka died The Ifangbondi
made a memorial show at stad Iba-Marr Diop in Dakar inviting all bands
to come. They all were afraid to play next to Ifangbondi ( They had no
effects and pedals,they were shy!). Only Super Diamano and Xalam 2 were
willing to play. Both Youssou Ndour and Star Band Number One refused to
show up. The show was a huge success. After this show we stayed in Dakar
to record the first Ifangbondi album with Griots records,the Album
titled SARABA.The master tape is in Dakar. Many Gambian master tapes
lived in Dakar. We are slowly loosing our national heritage. The artists
have the rights to sell there work to represent other countries.

No Performance Place In The Gambia..
In the Gambia this time we had the PPP in government. I went to discuss
this issue of a performing arts stage,Festivals and recording studio for
our musicians with the government ministers, first to the minister of
Lands Alhaji Yaya Ceesay, later I meet with Alhaji James Gaye with the
same issue and a plan (then, Minister of Culture and tourism) to start a
place for performing Arts..This will allow our Artists to be able to
compose, arrange,choreograph , reherse and make costumes, make up and to
practice our national traditions and heritage and to performthemt
well.There was no answere. They don't care. They are too brainwashed !!!
I meet the new then,again ,Minister of Culture and tourism Buba Baldeh ,
Mayor of Banjul Mr.James Gomez ,Gallondou and Arts Council Director Mr.
Momodou Joof for the government to open a simple place where our artists
can use for performing arts. They never replied. The Colonialist have
thought Africans to reject their cultures. All intellectuals do not
consider themselves equal to the local. The locals are the musicians,the
weavers,the painter, the potter, the gara makers, the local prists etc,

International Foreign-Mind Negros
The BEEN-TOO intellectual foreign- mind ministers without any soul and
passion of the arts are discreminating against the local artists and
seeing them as the white man did,dirty uneducated noise maker. They
studied English in England and how to live like an Englisman in the
Gambia.The hate their own colour and their moms and dads. How can you
make that person in charge of culture. They have spoiled our ecomony by
representaing the economy of Europe. This is a new economic slavery
where by Africans have to look after and manage the wealth of the whites
in Africa." What is from Africa and belongs to Africans is Rotten." So
all our energy and focus is to see America and Europe prosper at the
expense of Africans. These are the kind of Educated Africans we
have.They play a big role in the destruction of The African
civilasation. We are still slaves by anticipating help from the
slavemaster, IMF, UN ,World Bank , Red Cross and the list goes on all
the way to the AIDS mamojumbo. We can do for our selves but we first
have to be EQUAL.

Never ending Story
It is a never ending story,  I will take the steps to be taken so that
our youth can be busy back home instead of knocking the doors of the
enemy without help, trying to make way to Europe(dying in sea waves)
just to make one album in Europe, sometimes end up dead or in prison as
an asylum seeker. The Gambians have to be happy at home and let the
opportunities come home.


For us All !!!!

Oko Drammeh






















[log in to unmask] wrote:

> Even though the regime didn't support the band outright, technocrats
> [Yankee/Ghana boys] within, that understood the consciousness and
> inspiration of the indigent [Ifangbondi] would not miss a weekend
> Kaylay Baish/param param/Yaye Hall/ Yaye Jubeh...you know who and what
> I mean?
> Is there anyway, one can get rare recordings of Ifang Bondi?
>
>
> "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who
> are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
>  - Albert Einstein
> "
> Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
> change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
> - Margaret Mead
>
> "When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the
> people fear the government, you have tyranny."
> - Thomas Jefferson
>
> "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"
> - Edmund Burke

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