The farmers from the CRD and URD are expecting a bumper harvest even though they have received no government help, with the only cotton company GAMCOT based in Basse Manneh Kunda, URD dormant, the farmers complaint. Theassociation of cotton growers issued a statement that the cotton growing on 30 hectare in Sarey Sori, Jareng and Sarey Eliman piloted last year, are all a success story and urged the government to intervene and help them with less than a million dalasis as that will provide them with seed for next year and make the ginning industry functional for export, once again, otherwise they will be forced to sell the cotton to Senegal government agencies who help their farmers and are giving better and competitive pricing for their commodities.
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----- Original Message -----
From: samateh saikou
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:56 AM
Subject: Re: A look into Jaliba Kuyateh's musical career
Ron,
Thanks and great observations,but excuse me,who is this Demba ?
On the issue of trabalism,I think we should take it seriously,it is a sign of backwardness and mental problem that is why I dont joke with it.
Jaliba is a master and I wish he was on the side of the people,he alone,would have been total mobilisation and we will not have been here talking of only the Manding speaking people listen to Jaliba.
I remember when I was still in School,there was a Gambian Musician living somewhere in Europe,just dont remeber the country and his name,he had this song " Change the system now" (some thing like that)it was great to listen to for some of us at that time ,even though it was in English it was never difficult for us to associate our selves with the music.At this time of our struggle,we need social critics who can put into songs our longings and agonies,speaking onbehalf of our sufferings in silence. Do you play the Kora ?
For Freedom
Saiks
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Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:54:17 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A look into Jaliba Kuyateh's musical career
To: [log in to unmask]
Saiks,
I think you make some valid points. And I agree with how you valuate music. Perhaps brother Oko is compartmentalising culture and traditions to be conveyed in mere sound quality. Culture and tradition is dynamic for a people and consists of experiences of their forebears and the hopes of their progeny. Perhaps brother Oko can recalibrate his understanding of culture and traditions. I do agree with him to the extent that when a craft is not appreciated and celebrated, its potence as conveyor and patron of any culture and or tradition will be lacklustre. Prehaps this is what brother Oko speaks to. That if we give our local musicians and griots more of an ear and grace, and because they are better suited to convey our cultures and traditions, that they will do a better job of it than one who is farther removed from that culture and tradition. I agree with you Saiks that Advocacy is a form of cultural communication and instead of using the stage to advocate, the likes of Jaliba are contented to sing praises, even if the one praised is the criminal in our midst, thereby working counter to advocates.
So, like you, I encourage brother Oko to counsel Jaliba Kuyateh in worths and values and that culture and traditions does not equal clueless gallantry. So I will continue to celebrate Jaliba like any other musician and I will adopt him when he yields his stature and craft more value. Baab Maal is a social musician. So was the late John Denver and Paul Simon. From time to time Youssou Ndure lends his voice to advocacy and I love him for that. When Jaliba does that, I will gravitate more to his music. So we want more substance in our culture and traditions.
Haruna. Forget tribalism. That will be with us for some time to come. But we can beat it. Tribalism seems to me to be the industry of the lazy and clueless. I don't even think its worth wasting our breath on. We should work toward neutralizing it and identifying its contours.
Good to hear you again Saiks. Do you know Demba is incarcerated and can be bonded out Saiks??? That will depend on whether or not he is a pain in your neck. He gets on my nerves sometimes with his simultaneous bias and neutral. Why can't he choose either at a time?? He gives new meaning to ambidexterity. That man. So if he gets on your nerves like he does on mine sometimes, you know you can keep him locked up while we continue to enjoy each others' companies. Ehh, Demba. You're not free yet to speak here. I don't know why I have to always keep reminding you of that.
In a message dated 1/19/2010 8:40:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
Whiles I agree with much of what Oko is saying,he knows better, I want to believe that the tribal thing is some how true but not the absolute truth. I know that Lalo Kebbah was listened to by all, regardless of tribe and TK (Touray Kunda)was very popular among many,infact the later,not much among the Mandingas but the Urban youths of Banjul and Serre Kunda.
There must be other reasons why Gambian musiocians are not that much popular among Gambians, I dont know why. For me,I would rather listen to Omar Penn or Ousa than Musa Ngom or Jaliba Kujateh.This has to do with my social engagement. I konw the last thing that Jaliba or Musa Ngom will do is to lament the plight of ordinary Gambians,Ousa will have no problem with that,he has been detained for many times and lost out of favour for his believes.Their musical tunes are fantastic,especially Jaliba,but the substance,zero !!!!!
for Freedom
Saiks
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Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:51:45 +0000
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A look into Jaliba Kuyateh's musical career
To: [log in to unmask]
It is also important for Oko's view to be read by the L guys. I found them strong with the love of inclusive Gambian cultures, we all need to open up and embrace.
Thanks Sountou & thanks Cherno Jallow
By Oko Drammeh of Sotokoto online network
A NOTE FROM OKO
The Gambia is a very tribalist country.
The reason being is that we still practice tribal culture and tribal unity of purpose. We live in small interest groups and our tribal beliefs and values are not compromised for modernisation.
Jaliba Kuyateh will be a celebration artists for a while to come because the Wollof community will not accept him and will not invite him to their major functions. The Gambian- Banjulians take pride in Senegalese cultural values than Gambian Mandinka or Fula, or jola values. This was the disrespect they had for Ifangbondi. The wollof community seem to be the trendsetters of Senegalese culture in Gambian communities. Every Senegalese is a Senegalese BUT every Gambia is a Jola, Mandinka, Fula or Wollof. WHY?
It was all fine when Ifangbondi played Saraba or Xalel Daii maga but as soon as the Jola rhythms and songs, Fula and Mandingo beats start pouring, the elite: ladies and gentlemen of that time (even if they are Jolas, Fula & Mandinkas ) they will start to leave for home.
Gambians are still not culturaly awake.
They want to share the Euro- Urban life style of little Dakar or Europe and not the original-folk music of the country. Gambians are still not liberrated culturally. This is why our youth copy foreign clothes, foreign music, foreign insults like (Bang-Bang your Mama), the sound of the gun.and applly these messages in the Gambian composition music, also with mixed up Jamaican Jah Rastafarian Reggae lyrics which did not make it big breakthrough since Bob Marley, except on third world radio station and news media programs which is not in the accountable mainstream industry.We are far from understanding how the industry works.
Ndagga did not come from Gambian- But It is wollof.
We can say Laba Sosseh Tussed it and Ifangbondi conceptionalized it. Laba Sosseh had all the guts to sing in Wollof while all the band members of the Foyer Band were semi portugese in Banjul and sang in Spanisn & Potugese, although Cha Cha Cha Salsa/ Pachanga tunes but that brought about the dearing "Bi-Tanka du Lal Be" by the Super Eagles by dearing to fused-in Wollof in their Salsa music.
The latin tunes
were more acceptable to colonisers and that's how the wollof, the Groumets (Grumets/ Catholics). The wollof-party people who drink wine & eat pork were the Grumets.The wollof ladies were the party goers and had many mulato kids with slave masters and love slave masters music. This is why Dakar love pachanga/ Africando/ Tasu- Mbalax/ Salas Mbalax no one Plays Ndanga- Njie Pop.
All Ndaga is Salsa
Senegal had a Poet President who had partners in countries all over the world. They staged shows, festivals, opened royality offices, concerts halls and music administration set ups. This is running till today in Dakar including the school of Arts.
Gambians do not know this. The British needed our manpower in Europe, to abandon our country and give our human resources to England.
When Europe need your country, they would want to you to stay and build railways but if they don't need you, like The Gambia you can start imitating them and pledge your future to the Union Jack.
Senegal have artists and musicians runnunig the business since day one. Right now it is musicians who control the budget, the programs and are responsible for international tour and building of auditariums. Also in sports, theater etc,
THEY GIVE IT TO THOES WHO HAVE DONE IT BEFORE AND ARE RECOGINSED BY THE INDUSTRY TO DO IT. THEY ARE RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD NEWS MEDIA.
I see too often how Gambians pick up small pop infants band from Senegal for their occation in France, England, USA & Scandanvia while they ignore Jaliba Kuyateh and his Mandingo music. The acceptance they would give to an Unkown Djibi or Djimay drammeh or a Pape Diouf etc, or Kumba Ting Ting, Falia Baldeh, etc, etc is more than the acceptance they give to Jaliba. If you go to Dakar some artists (mostly Malians & Guineans, some Senegalese) will tell you that they want to be like Jaliba, they like his songs, his music and his strenght to hang on for so long. But when you come with Jaliba to gambians, he is a tribal artists.
I know thoes who hire Jaliba. He is only fit for ceremonies, homely weddings and Multicultural African Somalian Youth Center concerts hall shows. These are Patrons of Jaliba Kuyateh and they pay his bills and keep him to maintain for the past 25 years.They are not industry people, the promoters of Jaliba are not known to the business of music, the press do not run down Pre-views and musical reviews on Jaliba when invited by his loyal patrons.
There is no collective effort to promote him. If we loose Jaliba now, he will be worthless in our history books like Pa Touray, Laba Sosseh & the rest. Gambians do not document their artists. Jaliba is not represented by any major label and distributed by a major label. He still need to be introduced. If he has well produced shows he will be recognized.This can happen only if we all believe in him like we believe in what we choose. believe is a choice. His biggest honoiur is UNICEF amdassador. What $$$$ signs are no it, none !
I decided to record the Kora Dance album by Jaliba for a major label and for documentation and a tour was planned to promote him worldwide.I took many Jazz artists and soul & blues artists of American name brands like, Don Grusin, Larry Williams/ Seawind, Leon Ware, Bill Summers from Quincy Jones band and we did the album with Jaliba. We pitched the tour to promote his new industry sound to many Gambian music promoters round the world, not one replied in the positive. So I decided to call it a day. But I am always ready to do it all over again
It is sometimes dissapointing how Gambians respond to mandingo music. But they like Salif Keita, Mory Kanta & Sekou Bambino and Baba Maal but not from Gambia. The Boys can play back home very well and up to standard., they do not record in good studios but they are better than 70% of what I hear from Radio. The New Nigerian sound, the New Pussy cat mew-mew sound effect that is in all new music is mostly because of lack of funding and guidance in production. They are not coached. This was it with our football , they were not coached but if they are funded guided and coached the musicians will deliever..
Music is understandable by every person that can hear. Even children of 3 years have their favorite songs from their Moms at an early age. The human brain can identify with anything it recognise and familiar with. If Gambians create a make-belief pull and propaganda that Gambian music is best, they will be the first to embrace it. Gambian music is far better than music from many parts of the world. We are civilized, have a history and sensible.
If gambia musicians do not record in sessions, much more music and perform much more in international festivals, TV shows and making acting-movie cilps, they will not have the suitable experience required to make a proper music record career.
Gambians cannot produce a record of hig magnitude caliba, well formed, well shaped and containing hook lines, transposing, effects,etc. they did not evolve with technolog. A good record is 90% the Art of scientific application. It is not what you do on stage that goes on record. a record is produced in parts and in pieces before applying intensity and sound petals for wider and more sophisticated ultra sound range. This is how to make a hit and the hit will make the star.
The New Gambia music has no name,
it is being form and being shaped. I know guys who are doing very well but they cannot maintain it. Somethings you have to learn, The Gambian music is not yet ripe or fit to be brought to the front. Some Gambia artists should be financed to make good recording production in proper studios. The home recordings are not durable and have no dept and width for manupuilation.
What makes Youssou Ndour is the recordings not the praises he get.
Music do not prosper under governments. Governments do not study music as an ecomonic priority. Now tourism folding, it is time to hire experts and use the musicians and festivals to create a new tourism site in Gambia and get the world there. Gambia needs an event, a seminar, music, conventions, music education, scholarships, and an international travelling GAMBIAN All Star cast to tour the world.
In today's Gambia there are no shows, no concert halls, no recording studio, no music newspaper, no star, no charts, no charge tax for visiting foreign artists, 70 % music on Gambia airwaves is non-Gambian.. No money is coming to Gambian artists. they have families and they want to send their kids to school and to the Doctor but the are no job, no initiative and no future.
Jaliba is a miracle man to stay that long entertaining us and upholding our pride. He sacrificed a lot.
Oko Drammeh
www.Soto Koto.tv
http//twitter.com/sotokotoband
www.facebook.com/OkoDrammeh
On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 10:42 AM, suntou touray <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
http://www.allgambian.net/NewsDetails.aspx?id=1398 Part one
http://www.thegambiajournal.com/Top-News-and-Analyses/710.html part two and the interview.
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