>From: Oko Drammeh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: [log in to unmask] >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: [>-<] Re:"Afdie"/Soffie/Oko /Rene >Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004 23:53:11 +0100 > >Rene, They wonder the Tann.( this is the top of my day). They >wondered the Tann. !!!   Real class! > >Rene, Long time ,since when. Stay in touch. > >I like your way of writng drama.It is like music with structure and >breathe. I really enjoy reading it .Maybe I know you too close, so I >am seeing you standing in a sacred place and reading this piece, > >"This is the of spirit of halfdie" Oko Drammeh. > >Ali man and Adama Jombel ,Yes they know me and I know them. Do you >remember when Mrs. Blain employed them. They were always sleeping >with the hosepipe of wine in the mouth. I was always playing cards >and peps at Dobson and Hill street with Pa Jabel.Pa Nicola and Chex >and thousands more. Of couse I remerbered PUSSGAMBAL ,the Kaur >drummers and leader Sol with the pusgambal rhythms and Dakase >dances.,ndolim and sara.(THE MALe Ndaga dances) I remembered Famara >Awal- nee but he did not play pussgambal. The drummers at the fanal >of 28 Buckle street ( next to the house of Oussou Ndiaye/senor) I >remembered Faithful Five( roughly but Vous Brigett'e, NO , with Baby >Rene and Taflanda. They had a fanal too there. Mam Buba used to live >at 66 Dobson. They used to have great Sambasohos at 66 Dobson.We >played cricket in the yard. There were nice flowers in the yard and >they smelled nice. If you enter the gate from Dobson (you can also >come from 25 Hagan street ,under the Baobab. I almost see the gene >one night thersw at the PORTE aton thursday night (gudi aljuma). >This was my porte because Lie Joof Put-out (class mate) lived there >and Pa Joof and I attended their MAM SANDE, Ouyi mam. I hope that >you are not talking about this Ouyi mam at Bond road. It was near >you. I was there.I remembered the sambasoho neat the house on the >right with the steps.I saw the Mam . > >" Half die ,Some live there but some live it" > >Your story is an artistic and spirited of your life. Rene I am >amazed in your flow of poetic verses especially "The nondescript >kering ement -plastered one bed room and a palour house,stood >unabasedly a thick carpet of sand in one corner of the compound etc >.etc etc and you went on to describe the griot ceremonies and >Tatipere, tefess and Prince the abandoned ship at bond roan abd the >gali barr behind were we always go to get lenge art. The chokass, >the sambasoldes and the ceebays. The scenic saeview at > >The half die epidemic was a malaria. I got a good lecture on this >Iit was MALARIA ,not cholera.  The word Mal-aria is a latin  (on the >same lecture) word meaning bad air. They thought that it was the air >that was infecting the people untill very late before the knew that >it was NOT the air but the mosquitoes. .When the epidemic hit banjul >most of the Akus who were originally seattled at Griffith street (   >not far from the PWD)  were relocated to Banjul central and >soldiertown. > >How about my titles on the PHARES. , give me the medals >!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. > > >Still it is a rush answere but Come again. >your brother >Oko B >My  ndongo Life > > > >[log in to unmask] wrote: > >>Oko, >>      Great job with the stories about Half-die. It brings back a >>lot of momeries. Good luck with the book too. Sometimes, I am >>tempted to join in, but then you always say it all. Good narrative. >> >>      Question: do you know anything about the "faithful five" >>push-gambal, at 66 Dobson street. >> >>      Also Aliman, at 23 Dobson, and Yalle posson were buddies. I >>remember a day, shortly after the duo came from one of their >>drinking sessions, and were quarrelling on the street. There was an >>attempted fight, and Yalle posson pushed Aliman and he fell and >>injured his forehead. A crowd gathered, and Aliman's relatives >>insisted that they would take Yalle to the police station. The two >>were led, with a band of noisy young kids following behind to the >>police station at Buckle street. Amazingly, when the two left the >>police station, they were buddies again and holding hands. The >>people who saw them just shook their heads and wryly commented: >>"look at these two again." >> >>      I grew around most of the scenes you have depicted, and have >>known or heard about the people you have mentioned. It is great to >>immortalized these souls; they are the bedrock of the rich tapestry >>that is half-die history. >> >>      "The nondescript keringting cement-plastered one bedroom and >>a parlor house, stood unabashedly amidst a thick carpet of sand in >>one corner of the compound, located at the furthermost edge of the >>southern tip of Banjul near the mangrove swamps. This area of >>Banjul, Half Die, was the epicenter of the malaria* epidemic where >>half the inhabitants had died.  It was, this area of Banjul, Half >>Die, where the potent drums of the great griots occassional beat >>the rhythmic joys of the cultural festivities, the naming >>ceremonies and the wedding ceremonies. The colorful women in their >>flowing wollof garbs, adorned in glittering gold necklaces and >>shinning silver bracelets, captivated the floodlights of the >>spectular dancing arenas with their lavish charm and infectious   >>gaiety. It was, this area of Banjul, where I was born..." >> >>    "Growing up in Banjul, was a constant challenged full of >>adventure and innocent curiosity. The children grouped themselves >>into clubs, and after school each day if they were not at Uncle >>Daddy's study, went around the Teffis, the shopping center, and the >>numerous wharves on the Banjul coastline looking for adventure. >>They had group swimming at the Banjul sea, its blue waters fresh >>and clean. The overlapping waves rolled like velvet blue carpet and >>gave much fun to their reckless abandonment. They walked the entire >>length of the Tatipera, the beach, all the way to the exterior of >>the Albert market, burrowing like mice into abandoned wooden boats >>lying almost buried beneath the sand. They also walked into Father >>Tete's lair, where criminals and drunkards congregated, and where >>they flouted the law with impunity being neither brought to justice >>or justice brought to them. All stolen goods from the Albert market >>found a safe haven at Father Tete's.  Father Tete's monkey, his >>long time pet, excitedly jumped from one branch to the next, with >>the influx of people gathered at the place..." >> >>       "...they wandered to the Tann, the swampy wasteland on the >>right hand side of the Bond road going towards the main highway >>linking Banjul and the Kombos.There they had flown their paper >>kites, and in the muddy, shallow, narrow brackish rivulet, they had >>raced their bamboo made boats. When the water on the left-hand side >>of the Bond road receded, they waded through the mud to the >>derelict ship, The Prince, almost buried with its rusty iron when >>the tide was full. They covetously snatched the eggs and young of >>the sea gulls and other birds that made the abandoned ship their >>home..." >> >>      "...he had to be almost prepared for a fight as soon as he >>treaded into the KGV playground, knowing that he could easily pick >>up a fight as picking up his nose. The KGV, the King George the >>Fifth playground, was a battle ground where the Half Die Ndongos, >>the young people, were molded and their resolved hardened like >>precious gem, preparing as a rite of passage their truimphal entry >>into manhood. The circumcission rite of calling Mam, the imaginary >>god of valor, that would instill courage and moral rectitude at the >>dead of night, in the outskirts of the city, was less daunting..." >> >>      I have excerpted a few passages from a story that is relevant >>to some to the scenes you have outlined; hope it adds to the joy of >>having all these fun memories. Regards. >> >>     Rene >> >>NB: The phrase "jive-creativity" and "mental-gymnastic" has been >>attributed to you. Please confirm if you are the originator of >>these phrases.  It is quite ingenious. >> >>* not sure if this incident was malaria or cholera. >