Mr Faal and Oko keep it up .We are still learning . Chi Jamma , --- Oko Drammeh <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > 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 > === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~