We reminisce with brother Oko. Thanks JDAM for sharing. To think that was all a bluff is overwhelming.
Haruna.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lamin Darbo <[log in to unmask]>
To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tue, Jul 16, 2013 8:27 pm
Subject: Fw: [OKO DRAMMEH] Renaming James Island to Kunta Kinteh Island - whats your take?/ Wassa
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: oko drammeh <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, 25 February 2010, 5:28
Subject: Re: Renaming James Island to Kunta Kinteh Island - whats your take?/ Wassa
Fantastic writing, Words don't kill, guns does. We should be able write progressive articles on Gambia's progress in motion.
This create an intellectual communiy were evolution of thouhgts can bring natural solutions to our problems.
Thanks Goalkeeper No 1 Team A.
Oko
Please watch my online tv station: http://www.sotokoto.tv/
From: Wassa Fatti <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, February 24, 2010 5:29:54 PM
Subject: Re: Renaming James Island to Kunta Kinteh Island - whats your take?
Kotto Oko,
Just back to base this yesterday and thanks for this piece. I can understand your anger and frustration. However, do not despire. Keep up the cultural battle.
Wassa.
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:02:01 -0800
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Renaming James Island to Kunta Kinteh Island - whats your take?
To: [log in to unmask]
This America artist is a J.J.C meaning (Johnny just come lately). We have suggested a million items to use Kunta kinteh and a dancer to market Gambia & Gambian artists, thinkers & intellectuals.But the Glory of Gambia achievement goes to hail foreigners rather THAN creative Gambians. But maybe he paid some money to appear in the papers and paying to meet the President. The President does not know being DUPED. The Arts council is irresponsible and immature, needing artistic professionals to advance our course.
Gambians like to copy because of lack of global information essense.They think that the whole world. We have been singing and suggesting and they never give us an audience and now Mr. Visitor can tell us about our Un-knowness and lack of foresight as Gambians.
AN AMERIKKKAN ARTIST SUGGESTS TO RENAME JAMES ISLAND.
This is because if you are looking outside (when we have it) for cultural values in music, painting, drama, theater, poetry, recording science, performance science and in innovative writings. Theere is no idea of the acheivements our parents and thinkers have gone through to make Gambia a great nation.
THERE IS A NEW MAJORITY THAT HAVE NO HEART FOR GAMBIA. BUT THEY HAVE GAMBIAN NATIONALITY BUT THEY HAVE NO ANCESTORS, NO SOUL FOR GAMBIA, NO FEELINGS FOR GAMBIA. THEY ONLY HAVE GAMBIAN DOCUMENTS. THEY ARE DELAINIG US. LEBANESE GAMBIANS< NIGERIBA
When Gambia is under attack all these Cake -eaters will walk out of Gambia, they way they did in Uganda & in Seirea Leone, etc. Like in Ivory Coast, they can attack us and we will run to the sea. We are a minority and our history & vision is dissapearing. Wait andee when the election come next year.Just look at the Neo-colonial names our street are renamed. We should listen to ourselves.
The New majority will also be looking outside for cultural awareness and even pleasure is being seek from outside. They have Indian TV programs and some Gambians are now speaking Indian. Then they have the 80% music & art on our TV & radio station. We love what is not ours. There is a HUGE shift of attitude with on respect at all.
When A Gambian does it, say it or have it we do not cherish. We have been brought up not to admire what is our. The Colonisers have been VERY successful in making us to reject our spiritual and cultural strenght. We are weak when it come to inner Gambian strenght. We have nothing to show for it. Gambia business is not supported by Gambians, they don't go Gambian Shops or restaurants or businesses abroad.We are though at our compounds that the next door neighbour cannot do anything better than you, and no praises are due to your neighbours because yoi deserve morethan him in they eyes of the people (self glorification) , after all who can I admire a Gambia, who eat the same rice and drink the same water with sepah-sticks. We have our great thinkers which I will be putting the spotlight on in my coming postings. The Gambia is a historical gem. But we don't care. The Coloniser thought us not to stick together to be strong, to come together in joint business exercise and the coloniser thought us how not to FREE ourselves.
KUNTA KINTEH
Alex Haley worked with Ifangbondi into his ROOTS PROJECT and invited the band to make some of the music. Senemie was contacted and Samson Gassama, Badou andyself with the American Embassy planned on promoting Kunta Kinteh in The USA. The Jealous reign of that time buried the dreams of Alex Haley because we wre going to be in the mix. All of gambia was going to transformed into a Kunta Kinteh- USA-Africa meeting point for history culture & education together with Goree & Elmina in Ghana.
Our artists are not given chance to express thier artistic vision on Roots, the Gambia & Kunta Kinteh and much more. We are only waiting for Tubabs & Fake fail ex junkie visitors to show us the light.This is not for all but the Gambia does not attract anymore black intellectuals like before. Any one who knows this will know too well that in Mecca you don't have to tell them to build a Kaba. You know more to do with James Island & Kunta Kinteh than a by-passer. We have a Kunta Kinteh agenda.BUT Who remembers Kunta Kinbteh, only Gambians. this isld news, we have to reinvent it and repackage it. The Americans do not remember the connection between Kunta Kinteh and Gambia as a source of cultural.connection. Ofcoursae the Gambians remember well, but informatica is not waiting for The Gambia. J
The Sad story is that Jaliba made Kunta Kinteh song in James Island to recreate s true and auhentic Gambian version including name change for the Insland. this DVD cost many grands and next to that The Ministry went over board to do the same (double cost) to produce a new tape for " on CNN fo one Million dalasis inviting a German producer" with an English girl called ". Many forigners are sick of our cultural offers who even borrow money and lobby for foreigners in our cultural policy. There should be a review of the Cultural office & the ministry. Thee is a big fraud at all levels of our cultural front,MAYBE THIS AMERICAN PAY SOME MONEY TO BE IN THE NEWS PAPER. We know a few who are owed money by Gambian officials for assistance in Gambia to achieve their goals.
Oko
http://www.sotokoto.tv/
The Arts council is corrupt & the Ministry of Culture is not cultural but academic. they have borrowed books on every aspect of culture but no implementation.
Now they want to amuse us with WHAT AN AMERICAN ARTIST SUGGEST.\, that god it's a suggestion like Thione Seck requesting to teach Gambian in Music when he admitted weeks earlier on Senegal TV that he cannot write misic nor does he study notation music.
A nation of thinkers is turning into a nation of borrowrs.
What use to be a source of Shame in is now acceptable norm in the gambia.
From: Malanding Jaiteh <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, February 24, 2010 9:29:12 AM
Subject: Renaming James Island to Kunta Kinteh Island - whats your take?
Courtesy of Daily Observer: http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/american-artist-suggests-renaming-of-james-island-as-he-meets-president-jammeh
American artist suggests renaming of James Island - As he meets
President Jammeh
<http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/american-artist-suggests-renaming-of-james-island-as-he-meets-president-jammeh#map>; Africa <http://observer.gm/africa/news>; » Gambia <http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/news>;
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The visiting American artist, Chaz Guest, who specialises in painting, has suggested that James Island in Juffureh in the North Bank Region to be renamed Kunta Kinteh or Kinteh Island.
He explained that this is necessary given the great resistance Kunta displayed during the inhumane slave trade that saw uncountable number of healthy black Africans shipped to America and Europe. Guest made these remarks while speaking to reporters Tuesday evening at State House in Banjul shortly after his audience with The Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh.
He disclosed that he got the idea about changing the name of the Island, which was included in the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage site list in 2003, when he visited the place recently. The American painter also commented on the efforts made by the president in bridging the gap between Africans and African-Americans, describing such a move as very necessary.
"I am going to be working on that with my colleagues and friends in America because it is all about spreading the world," he stated. He also told the reporters about his impression of the talented young artists in the country, notably those who trade in painting, and expressed his readiness to assist them in their endeavours.
Chaz Guest went on to express his resolve to produce a paint work for the president in observance of his birthday on May 25, 2010. He expressed his appreciation to the Gambian leader for giving him books on The Gambia and a gold bracelet.
Author: *by Hatab Fadera*
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