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 Family of Wendefeng Jobarteh.The Susos,the joberteh and the Sahos are kora Julos and the Kanutehs, Kuyateh and Koitas are Balafong players The Jali not griot (Griot is french) When Janke wali the last king of Kabu summoned his griots in anticipation of the war to end war.,all griots with his most talents to migrate with the kistory of Kabu to The Gambia river.He also asked the wives of The Nyanchos to follow (only a few ) they ladies refused to go and hanged on their Jimibi -hair and committed suicide by hanging from their dreads by prefering death in the place of facing defeat and becoming skaves to the Arabs. The Arabs are not our friends blackman. Colonialism on The Arts of Jali Kunda Many African musicians and griots were singing song that were written bty the government house in Banjul and supplied to the griots. They would write in English and the griots will translate them in wolof ,fula and Manding.I have a tape interview with Ya Mundow Jobe one of the leading singers in the Gambia that sang many of these the government songs.A popular one was how to go to The capital of Senegal in Ndarr"Chaya nel Tek ,Suma dem Ndarr Hoti Tubaye". Our National ASnthem is even an extract of Devil music with Gothic acents .It was sang by Bansang Joberteh with Fode Kaba Flavour but when Mr.Pye got it he change it to pagan music.Our national Anthem is pagan ritual music.Wish it was only Kora or a recogniasable classical local tune that is a part of past present and future of The GAMBIAN. Coffin for head of state ( A sample song by Fela) Muslim in England and America can sing whatever they want to.They have the protection of democracy and the first adenment in The US constitution ,for example the new Jill scott CD,the Bill Clinton sister Souljah drama and public enemy "By the time I get to Phioenix" bvideo.These song are politically charge and sever a nerve to confront the establishment in a monster scale. They made new headlines.Bullets for Elephants.This is Rap.You have to be conscious to be a voice. The Artist in Africa who serve long jail terms like Thomas Mapfumo for chanting Rhodisia's Ian Smith, Mamar Owanga of Cameroun who was almost beheaded by President Ahijo thugs and the repeated brutality on Fela Kuti.,the brutal shooting of Bob Marrley in Kingston for anti-CIA lyrics,The list is long.The artist have always counted on the masses to come to their defense in time of danger.They have a duty to stay alive and move the art and forward and extend the courses and streching our librerties.The ideological awareness one has to reach to realise this is is not aviable in the Gambia.You will bve beaten,your head broken and your house on fire and no onev will stand upm.UI was there with Ifangbondi with "The Prices are rising and the children are starving.It broke us down.No one resisted We have been thricked by Theocracy. Oko Drammeh Where is the Blackman Paradise. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~