Tomaa Modou Sidibeh,

Thanks for that very interesting piece. Many years ago, a very sensible discussion was carried on the Gambia-L precisely about what may be termed the sociology of Ifang Bondi's music in the Gambia. One of the most authoritative contributions in that debate, in my opinion,  was made by another tomaa and friend called Momodou H Njai who was at Stirling university in Scotland. He is now home in the Gambia. 

It would have been very helpful if his articles are re-posted here but I am not sure whether they could be retrieved at all since the L was then hosted at the university of Washington. But, just perhaps, someone may have archived someof the articles from those days. I will liaise with Momodou Camara to try to locate them for the readership.

Cheers,
Momodou Sidibeh

---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Modou Sidibeh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2003 10:00 PM
Subject: just Music not politic


> It is sad to hear that Pa Touray of Ifang Bondi passed away. If there was
> anyone who worked hard to put The Gambia on the musical map of the world, he
> and the Ifang would be the ones. They have been criss-crossing around the
> world, promoting The Gambia and they are very respected everywhere. My
> personal condolences to the Touray Family and personal friends of the legend
> himself. My condolences goes also to the members and all time fans of Ifang
> for their great lost, I pray for his soul to rest in peace.
> 
> Having said this, I would like to take this opportunity to comment on some
> of the reactions been made prior to his death, and the comments made about
> the Gambian music and musicians lack of recognition, home and abroad. It
> might seem very unfair to many, me sending my condolences to Pa Touray's
> family and friends, and at the same time talking about Gambian musicians and
> music. I am not trying to disrespect the Legend, but trying to set the
> record straight, something I think the legend himself would like us to do.
> 
> The Gambian musicians then and now have very little recognition both home
> and abroad among Gambians, this is a very sad thing knowing the musical
> abilities of the Gambian population. Is it because of the lack of support
> the musicians are having from the Gambians at home and abroad or the
> Senegalezation going on in The Gambia, as some were claiming.
> 
> One thing I do know is that these things have very little to do with one and
> other. It is very possible for someone to like the Senegalese music, and at
> the same time to like the Gambian music even more. Music is feeling and
> feeling can not be directed in such an extreme way, that one taste for music
> would exclude the other. If the feeling is not there, one just don't have
> the feeling and that is it. One can not dictate the feeling, it just needs
> to be developed and that is the work of musical promoters and producers.
> Money has to be put into it, to make it work, but Gambian musicians also
> need to think about the people they are making the music for.
> 
> Is it possible to say that our musicians have not succeed in giving the
> people what they need and want? I sometimes get sick and tired of musicians
> speaking about Fatou Sidibeh here and there, when there are much bigger
> problems to talk about. I for one feel more connected to reggae, more than
> any other music in this world today. The reggae I listen to, gives me all
> the strength I need to move forward, as a black and an African. I listen to
> some Gambian music some times, but I would listen to it much more if they
> sang songs about our problems, or songs that would give us the breathing
> space we need.
> 
> The Senegalezation discussion is out of proportion to say the least. What
> can Senegal bring to The Gambia that The Gambia never had, the cultures,
> traditions, ethnicity's and religions are carbon copies of each other. If
> one was to count countries in the world with fundamental similarities to
> their neighbours, The Gambia and Senegal would be counted among the very
> first ones. Liking Senegalese music is the closest one can come to liking
> Gambian music, compared with my music taste they are at home right in the
> heart of The Gambia.
> 
> After all what is Gambian music contra Senegalese music? What we should be
> talking about is the question of Gambian identity, which has much broader
> implications on us. There is nothing like Gambian music, there are Gambians
> playing music as there are Gambian politicians and intellectuals. It is up
> to the individual to beleive what the politicians and intellectuals are
> saying, as it is for them to feel the music the musicians are playing.
> 
> If hardworking people want to take a break from their 9 to 5 plus extra and
> enjoy themselves, they should not be blamed for not being partiotics because
> of their musical choice. Let us not make political issues of everything. The
> people of Senegal and the people of the Gambia have been working together,
> musicians and ordinary persons alike for a very long time. The use of the
> word Senegalezation can be very contagious and dangerous. Let us not blame
> others for our misfortunes.
> 
> Modou
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*
> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
> To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
> [log in to unmask]
> 
> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
> at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~