Salutation Ndye,

Here is my answere to your sincere questions.

1.Is there a misic union in The Gambia ?

Answere
In an article dated february 2005 there was a mentioning of GAMMA. The Gambia Arts Association. Also In an article of February 2006, the director of the arts council was asking the artist to unite around forming a union. I am not sure at this point if the union is registered but there should be one in the making.


2.What do you need from US to set-up Music/ recording studio in The Gambia?

The Gambia is qualified for world bank funding.
With the right conditions the government can request for a funding for the arts. According to news report. Countries like Ghana was asking $11 million dollars, Senegal $5 million, Kenya and other countries are in the network.Wide open !

What I think we need
The Gambia need a multiu-Purpose complex designated to the arts that include a school with qualified teachers in the arts, performamce center, a music and instrument shop, book writing and playwright  accomodation block, energy and product assembly plant units. It may look like a university complex but the facility will provide recordings science education, perfoming arts, visiual arts, making and packaging of films, CDs/ DVDs for export and distribution around the world. This will pull in enough money to pay the cost of running the institution. With a garanteed annual subsidy the institute will run like automatic.

The complex should be furnished with rehersal rooms, offices and studios, class rooms with an open outdoor complex attached for filming. This can be a learnig and  graduation centre in the arts to garante income for the artists to MAKE-A-LIVING and also a center for producing commercial marketable products for sale and cultural and contemporary entertainment content material for the TV and radio stations and school TV. 

The Punch
The ministe of culture has to get this plan from GAMMA ( the Artists Association) and present it to parliament and seek the funding approval for a span of decades ahead in faces and extra funding improvement. Also to assist inincreasing the taxes on foreign artists and reduce taxes for musicians, musical events,musical imports, enforcing the copyright law and taking the atrists international. I read that you need to register 300 artists to qualify for world bank funding for music and art.

Festival economy for succession
The commercialising our festivals and events is urgent and the revenue directed to the arts. The Gambia is a poor country cannot afford to organise free international festivals anymore. With the commercialision of the our musical and cultural festivals we can hire and fire agents to organise the event for profit.

With the resources there are many Gambians who can lead the crusade to establish a legal and professional art and music industry and a business of music for the artists in The Gambia for continued progress and awareness.

High Regards

Oko Drammeh
Soto Koto Music 
www.okodrammeh.com




Ndey Jobarteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Oko,
Thank you for the respond and putting the record straight.

It is important to hear your version as some one with lots of experience in 
the music industry especially Gambia. From what I am reading from your  
response we are dealing with two major issues here lack of succession  and 
follow up This also brings me back to another question do we have a 
Union/Association/Organisation of Gambian Musicians? The reason for this 
question is that maybe this can also help to address some of the issues 
especially when it comes to the development of music in the Gambia.
I have no clue when it comes to the music industry all I know about music is 
to listen and dance to it.

Another thing I want to clarify would you agree with me that the perception 
of Music belonging only to the people from the griots family also affects 
its development in Gambia.
The second issue you raised is the development of a Music institution as 
part of our education curriculum. This will make the future certain for the 
younger generation to come. This I guess Faye has commented on it.

What can we ordinary people do to help in the development process apart from 
buying the tapes/cd and attending their concerts?

I know in some Africans countries they now have Music schools and recording 
studios. Excuse me but I have to go personal now, Is there any plan of you 
Oko or Buharry setting up a Music/recording studio in Gambia?  If yes, what 
support do you need from us?


Thanks you once again for the information



The Struggle Continues!!!!
Ndey Jobarteh




>From: oko drammeh Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list      
>          To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: SV: Ifangbondi - 
>History/ Bunda yele Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 03:16:08 -0700
>
>The Ifangbondi did not failed, they were loved and stilll by many Gambias 
>(who do not buy CDs) they came to pass. There is no effect when a band do 
>not sell CDs, tour and machandise products. The time of Ifangbondi success 
>was much of a talk about this. There was not industrial measure for 
>succes.Failure was derermined by what people say also. The final analysis 
>both counts have no effect on thre future gains of the caree of the artist 
>internationally.
>
>Most Artist make much more when they die/ The legacy sell. If you visit 
>Jamaica and in many parts of Europe, Asia , America, especially in 
>Hollywood, Caloifornia today you will see alot of very famous but poor 
>musician, mainly Jblues and azz musicians because their music is not in the 
>mainstream fast-track music market. Jazz and Latin music are just coming 
>into mainstream while African and Indian has just began with the likes of 
>Nusrat Ali Khan, Ali Farka Toure, Youssou Ndour and Khalid. African music 
>today is now out of tribe, the village and the region, it is now global. 
>Ten years ago, there was no financially rich Artists in Africa from 
>industry recognisation business.
>
>You can count the poor musicians in the Gambia but you can't them in 
>America (too many), Senegal and Sourth Africa. Even, Elvis Presley, Jimi 
>Hendrix, Mavin Gaye, Bob Marley and many more did not make money in their 
>lifetime. Their history paid the bills, even Chiek Anta Diop. He was not 
>recognised.
>
>Advise and management In there time they had trained managers from Malick 
>Secka ( businessman/ Photographer ) Super Eagles, Alieu Kah (manager, 
>Texaco)and Palamin was nutured by the two previous mangers ( he had top 
>grass roots experience) who made them international. They had good advice 
>and they had helpers from America from Johnny Secka (brought Jackson 5 to 
>Dakasr), Willam ( Jimmy cliff manager) They had technical advise from 
>Abdoulaye Sumareh (owner Ebony records and discovered Alpha Blondy). They 
>.The failure was there was no follow up and no succession.
>
>Traditional and contemporary music Ifangbondi was playing contemporary 
>music (modern) while the griots are confined in authentic traditional and 
>carries no form of modernation and changing trand. They don't fall under 
>one umbrella.
>
>The future for the young It is uncertain- untill and unless someone or the 
>government take up the arts as an education and a national financial asset 
>and musician should guided by educated artistic leaders and schooled in the 
>professionally.Music education and training has to be institutionalise and 
>the rewards will definately.follow.
>
>Oko Drammeh www.okodrammeh.com
>
>Ndey Jobarteh wrote: I guess this discussion is getting more and more 
>interesting. I have listened to I fang music through my Mother who is a fan 
>of Infang. She really explains those days with a huge smile in her face and 
>explain some o these lyrics to us. I remember when my Mum starts to play 
>their tapes we will say here she comes again. With my father on the other 
>side listening to the Kaddy Kebbi’s (I don’t know who sang and narrative 
>the story) and Lallokebba.
>
>I started listening to these songs when I came to Europe. I remember going 
>home for holidays recording lot s of these tapes and my parents were so 
>surprised because I never use to listen to these songs. I remember 
>listening to them in my sad days in campus and it really cheers me up and 
>then I understood why my mum and dad were in love with these songs.
>
>Anyway my question  goes to Oko and Buharry.
>
>Could the failure of the Gambian Musicians be due to poor or lack of Good 
>management and advice?  I could remember some of these musicians ended up 
>very poor with little hope for life. So what went wrong and what are the 
>lessons to learn for younger generation of Musicians. This is does not only 
>affect Ifang but all others. I don't know how many of you have listen to 
>the Songs and stories of Kaddy Kebba. The lallokebba's little is know about 
>these people even in our generation.
>
>In Buharry’s analysis we can see a generation of younger Musicians emerging 
>what does the future hold for them?
>
>
>
>The Struggle Continues!!! Ndey Jobarteh
>
>
>
> >From: Alieu Sanyang Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list 
> >            To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: SV: Ifangbondi - 
> >History/ Bunda yele Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 12:50:25 -0700 > 
> >Luntang/Modou Alieu,   You might be right but don't you think some of 
>those >"rebellions" as you call it have some negative effect on the way the 
> >society also judged the band at that time? Could it be possible thatthe 
> >society also "rebelled" against them?   It is very refreshing to see what 
> >is all being said about Ifangbondi and I must admit, I leanrt a lot from 
> >these discussions.   Ifangbondi really used to bring a lot of life in 
> >Gunjur jsut like any where else they performed. I am really looking 
>forwrad >to an Ifangbondi day in the Gambia. > >   Alieu. Luntang wrote:   
>I will not agree to your assertion "I remember >attending an Ifangbodi show 
>in Gunjur and that night the way most of the >attendees and the band acted 
>was one reason why I think the nation failed >to endorse the band at a 
>higher level " . Yes some Youths used to drink as >a way of rebellion 
>against the Society and as you mentioned some times some >of them coming 
>from a very religious back ground but that blame should not >be laid on 
>IfangBondi .I was among the very first people to set up >Ifangbondi Fans 
>Club in Gunjur together with J.O.J , Amadou Bajo , Omar >Janneh (Boy Eat) 
>Lamin Darboe and Nfansu Touray that later became famously >known as 
>Dabanani Club .We became the first to bring Ifangbondi to Gunjur >on 
>Koriteh day 1975 to perform both Haware and Night Show .Ifangbondi >always 
>played their best in Gunjur and that was why people in attendance >came as 
>far away as Faraba-banta , Pirang , Bakau , Sukuta and Brikama .I >wish you 
>succeed in organising an Ifangbondi Day . > >Luntang > > >----- 
>Ursprungligt meddelande ----- Från: "Alieu Sanyang" Till: Skickat: >den 26 
>augusti 2006 16:07 Ämne: Re: Ifangbondi - History/ Bunda yele > > >This is 
>very refreshing. Thanks to all of you for bringing us all back to >life 
>again. I subscribe to having an Ifangbondi day. As one suggested, the 
> >government need to be involved in this. I remember fully how Ifangbondi 
>was >well respected in the sub region especially Senegal and now having the 
> >Senegalese music more in Gambia than our own says a lot how the system 
> >failed the group and our culture. However, one question that came to 
>mind, >and I think Oko might be able to answer this better is, did 
>Ifangbondi also >failed us as a culture? My observation in those days are 
>they also did fail >the Gambia. I remember attending an Ifangbodi show in 
>Gunjur and that night >the way most of the attendees and the band acted was 
>one reason why I think >the nation failed to endorse the band at a higher 
>level.I even confronted >one of them at that time and ask why he was 
>drinking but for his parents >were so religious but I got a rude awakening 
>answer. And unfortunately he >stopped going to school too because he wanted 
>to be a musician. Most of the >people at this show were drunk and alcohol 
>and prostitution was kind of >being an acceptable forum for where ever the 
>group was. > >Alieu Sanyang. > > >oko drammeh wrote: Fye, Sincere 
>greetings! > >There is an unofficial explaninatin of the lyrics of the song 
> >"Nyepeto-Bunda Yele" since the band never registered the lyrics of the 
>song >with a definative meaning. Maybe brother Badou will mcome up with an 
> >authentic version of the meaning because he co-composed it. > >It is 
>spelled Nyepeto-Meaning a Cockroach. > >The song is a love song that fall 
>on the category of love betrayal. A wife >habours a lover while his husband 
>was away. Returned expectfully and knock >all night but the door never 
>open. Like Bob Marley put it.-"Waiting in >Vain" > >This is a musical 
>family to "Super tem-temb" by Bembeya Jazz National of >Guinea. > >Please 
>note that Ifang bondi (Gambia, Osibisa(Ghana) and Bembeya Jazz >(Guinea) 
>influence one another. . > >As in music, So in Life Peace Oko Buhary. > 
> >Thanks for the history on my favourite band.Ifangbondi did their best but 
> >at the end the system fail them.Let Jammeh stop talking loud and doing 
> >nothing and start supporting our artists as Senegal has been doing for 
>many >years now. > >Btw i have a question for you,Oko or Badou Jobe if he 
>is still with us... > >What does Pa Touray mean in his song *Nyepeto 
>Bundayele* obs. the spelling. > >Niamorkono. > > > > >On 8/20/06, Momodou 
>Buharry Gassama wrote: > > Hi! > Thanks Oko for the >additional info on 
>Ifangbondi. Pa Musa, Coach and > Karamba, thanks for >realising the role 
>Ifang played in the subregion. I > hope > they will be >given their 
>rightful place very soon, i.e., while the > remaining > members >are still 
>alive. I will dedicate one of these coming days to > Ifangbondi >on Raki 
>Web Radio. I will let you know the day. I hope Dave > Manneh will >be able 
>to tune in as he is an Afromanding fan. Have a good > night. > > > 
> >Buharry. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "pasamba jow" > > > 
>To: > Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 3:45 PM > Subject: Re: Ifangbondi - 
> >History > > > > Buharry, > > Thanks for this wonderful info. It is always 
> >refreshing to read > something > > inspiring about Gambian heroes, and 
> >believe or not the Pap Tourays and > > the Badou Jobes are as important 
>to >the shaping of Gambia's identity as > > any politician. Just maybe one 
>day, >soon i hope, Gambia will put these > > great pioneers in their right 
> >historical place, as Gambia's social and > > cultural icons. > > Pasamba 
> >Jow > > > > Momodou Buharry Gassama wrote: > > Biography: > > > > For 
>more >than twenty years the Gambian roots band Ifang Bondi ('be > > 
>yourself') >has had a leading role within West African popular music. It > 
> > was one of >the first groups that decided to return to its African roots 
> > by > > >playing traditional Manding music. > > > > To talk about an 
>influential >band such as Ifang Bondi, one needs to know > > how its 
>origins came about. >It was the year 1970. The auditorium of > Legon > > 
>University in Accra >(Ghana) was filled to capacity. There was an > > 
>environment of restless >expectation awaiting the arrival on stage of the > 
> > Super Eagles of The >Gambia. The devastating performance of highlife, > 
>soul, > > Cuban music, >reggae and western pop songs which followed, 
>faultlessly > > delivered by >the men in sharp suits, revealed why this 
>band from The > > Gambia had >become West Africa's number one superstar 
>attraction. West > > Africa had >just completed its first decade of 
>independence and was in > the > > throes >of anticolonialist sentiment, 
>pan-Africanism and 'Say it loud, I > am > > >Black and Proud'. This was to 
>be the last time most people saw the Super > > > Eagles, leaving only the 
>legacy of their all-time classic album 'Viva > > > Super Eagles'. > > > > 
>Unknown to their thousands of fans, this was not >the end of the story, > 
>but > > just the end of the First chapter in one of >the longest-running 
>sagas in > > African musical history. The truth is that >the founders of 
>the band, > > leader Badou Jobe and vocalist Paps Touray >had taken a 
>deliberate > decision > > to end Super Eagles at the height of >their 
>popularity. Being true > > revolutionary pan Africanists and musical 
> >pioneers, they had become > > increasingly disturbed by the music they 
>were >playing and the image they > > presented. Despite the greater fame 
>and >fortune that was theirs for the > > taking. They radically gave it all 
>up >to go back to square one, back to > > the roots, to create something 
> >African for Africans, to challenge the > > cultural imperialism of the 
>west >which still gripped the continent. They > > went into the bush to sit 
>at >the feet of the jelis - the master drummers > > and the old maestros of 
>the >kora, xalam, and bala - the guardians of a > > thousand years of 
>culture >and tradition. > > > > After two years of exhaustive research and 
>hard >practice, Badou Jobe and > > the few musicians like Paps Touray and 
>Ali >Harb, who had felt inspired > to > > join, came back with unique new 
>music, >born from their amazingly rich > > heritage. To their modern 
>electric >outfit, including the novelty of an > > electric organ, they had 
>added >traditional drums, which, next to the > drum > > kit's chromium 
>sheen and >the fancy sunburst of the guitars, looked like > > alien objects 
>from >another planet. The new repertoire, painstakingly > > composed 
>according to >the rules of the jeli teachers, had meant a > struggle > > 
>with unfamiliar >scales and mind-boggling rhythm structures. They proudly > 
> > coined their >music the Afro Manding Sound after the legendary Manding > 
> > empire, cradle >of their West African culture. > > > > By 1973 the group 
>had shed its >eagles' feathers to reappear as Ifang > Bondi > > ('Be 
>yourself), a >fearsome Manding spirit that puts the newly initiated > to > 
> > the test and >seeks out evildoers within society. The band's First 
>public > > >performances were greeted with dismay and disbelief by their 
>devoted > >fans, > > who were outraged by the 'bush' sound of mbalax and 
>jambadongo >rhythms, > > although the musicians had been careful to hide 
>the sabar >(drums) under > > the British flag. At that time this type of 
>music was >considered to be > > played only at weddings and 
>family-gatherings and not >for big audiences. > > But bandleader Badou 
>Jobe, veteran of an earlier >bade against caste > taboos > > to become a 
>musician in the first place, >stuck by his guns through the > > sticks and 
>stones of this initial period. >The only support at this time > > came from 
>fellow musicians, later to form >Toure Kunda and Super Diamono, > > who 
>appreciated the Afro Manding Sound >for the momentum it was bound to > > 
>give African music. Gradually their > > > revolutionary ideas got accepted, 
>and this was the birth of the popular > > > West African modern music that 
>has since catapulted Toure Kunda, >Youssou > > N'dour, Mory Kante, and 
>Baaba Maal onto the world stage. > > > > > The role of Ifang Bondi has been 
>pivotal - by rehabilitating the > > >traditional musicians they made people 
>aware of their own heritage, and > > >they offered new dimensions to 
>African artists in search of an authentic > > > sound. To rigorously 
>deprive a devoted public of their pop idols, the > > > ultimate symbol of 
>modern western cultureto induce them to set their own > > > cultural values 
>and to get rid of the inferiority complex, a lingering > > > legacy of 
>colonialism, had not been a venture for the faint-hearted. >But > > in the 
>end the effort proved to be worthwhile. Ifang Bondi have >achieved > > 
>their goal - to create something African for Africans - beyond > > > 
>expectations. > > > > Badou Jobe's innovative ideas, based on a vast 
> >musical knowledge, have > > crystallized into a comprehensive artistic 
> >concept that created also the > > inimitable sound, Ifang Bondi's 
> >trademark. Throughout the years, Ifang > > Bondi has continued to develop 
> >its unique music which reflects the > > enormous variety and richness of 
> >authentic styles, be it Wolof, > Mandingo, > > Fula, Jola or other. The 
> >band's line-up shows a similar ethnic diversity > > They put fresh blood 
> >into musical traditions, not only by a prolific > > output of original 
> >material but also by organizing festivals in which > they > > invited 
>pop, >jazz and reggae musicians from as far as the US and Jamaica > > to 
>play >with traditional performers. > > > > From the beginning Ifang Bondi 
>have >acted as a true academy of music > from > > which many great artists 
>have >graduated. Outside West Africa Ifang Bondi > > has always had a solid 
>cult >following. The infrequency of record > releases, > > all sought after 
> >collector's items, plus the enigmatic personality of > its > > 
>bandleader, >who seems quite happy to stay out of the limelight, "I once > 
> > opened the >door to the hell of stardom, had a good look around, and > > 
>slammed it >shut again", has only enhanced the mystique surrounding this > 
> > group. >Badou Jobe received the prestigious Kora All Africa Music Award, 
> > > also >known as the African Grammy Award, in 1989. > > > > The band: > 
> > > > Badou >Jobe - bass > > El Hadj Samb - vocals, percussion > > Jali 
>Momodou Suso - >kora, vocals > > Juldeh Camara - riti, vocals > > Lin Diaw 
>- guitars > > >Bassirou Mbaye - sabar, bugarabu, tama, jembe > > Tafa 
>Ndiaye - keyboards > > > Ibou Gueye - drums > > > > > > > 
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> > > > > > Discography: > > > > Saraba (Disques Griot, 1979) > > > > Mantra 
> >(Interstate Records LPH 2366, 1983) > > > > Sanjo (D&K 860017, 1989) > > 
> > > > Daraja (MW Records MWCD 3009, 1994) > > > > Gis Gis (MW Records MWCD 
> >3019, 1998) > > > > > > > > > > 
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 
> > > > Booking: > > > > Musik + Aktion. Address: Uta Hofmann, Musik + 
>Aktion, >Egilolfstr.77, > 91349 > > Egloffstein, Germany. Phone: +49 (0) 
>9197697970, >Fax: +49(0)9197697971. > > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > > > 
> > > > > > > > >Source: 
>http://worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=1021 > > > > > > > 
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