Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides an excerpt of the Wikipedia page on griots and showcases two trailers of the documentary film entitled Griot.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, educational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Volker Goetze, Ablaye Cissoko, and others who were affiliated with this film. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/05/ablaye-cissoko-volker-goetze-sira.html for the closely related pancocojams post about Senegalese griot Ablaye Cissoko's song "Sira".
****
INFORMATION ABOUT GRIOTS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griot
"A griot ... jali or jeli (djeli or djéli in French spelling) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet and/or musician. The griot is a repository of oral tradition and is often seen as a societal leader due to his or her traditional position as an advisor to royal personages. As a result of the former of these two functions, he or she is sometimes also called a bard. According to Paul Oliver in his book Savannah Syncopators, "Though [the griot] has to know many traditional songs without error, he must also have the ability to extemporize on current events, chance incidents and the passing scene. His wit can be devastating and his knowledge of local history formidable". Although they are popularly known as "praise singers", griots may use their vocal expertise for gossip, satire, or political comment.
Griots today live in many parts of West Africa and are present among the Mande peoples (Mandinka, Malinké, Bambara, etc.), Fulɓe (Fula), Hausa, Songhai, Tukulóor, Wolof, Serer, Mossi, Dagomba, Mauritanian Arabs and many other smaller groups. The word may derive from the French transliteration "guiriot" of the Portuguese word "criado", or masculine singular term for "servant". These story-tellers are more predominant in the northern portions of West Africa.
In African languages, griots are referred to by a number of names: jeli in northern Mande areas, jali in southern Mande areas, guewel in Wolof, gawlo in Pulaar (Fula), and iggawen in Hassaniyan."...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS:
Example #1: Griot - Trailer (Long Version)
Volker Goetze, Published on Aug 4, 2011
NEW THEATRICAL TRAILER CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://youtu.be/SkY6qmpaJJs
By tradition, griots are the living repositories of West Africa's oral epics — histories that are crucial for the preservation of West African social structures. The Griot, a documentary by Volker Goetze, uncovers the beauty of West African's traditional past and discovers that some revolutionary changes may be afoot — changes that could alter the cultural landscape forever.
Genre: Documentary
Production Company: Weitblick Media (USA)
Producer: Volker Goetze
Co-Producer: Sam Pollard
Director: Volker Goetze
Camera: Sanne Kurz
Editor: Victor Kanefsky
Additional Editing: Marie Planquois
Author: Leslie Mulkey
SuperDraw: Joshue Ott
Recorded Saint-Louis, Dakar (Senegal); New York (USA); Paris (France)
Duration: 82' 55"
-snip-
Subtitles [with my explanations in brackets]
[song clip “Sira”]
“Sira, Sira, Sira, Sira...
“The day Sira was born”
“The ocean was vibrant”
[song clip: "Coulon Coulon"]
“Mother, mother, mother...”
“The child calls his mother”
“When he is hungry”
“the child calls his mother.”
[Ablaye speaking]:
“My forefathers, they are my foundation.”
“They are the tree. I am the branch.”
“My father had 4 wives and 21 children.
Without exception, they are all musicians.”
[a statement given as a subtitle]
Mind full of knowledge and words full of solution.
[young man rapping on city street]- “I wonder why…for the economy, why Africa is always behind…”
[song clip- “Haiti”]
“The earth is breaking Haiti.”
“Despair arrived.”
“I do not know what the cause is.”
The earth trembled in Haiti.”
[woman speaking]
“The values of a griot are:
You play and you sing.
You love the people.
You respect the people.”
[Ablaye speaking]
“It is just like the rain falling down,
Here you are. You are thirsty…
You feel dirty…
And the water is falling down…
You drink a lot and you feel good.
You want a friend whom you can tell something...
you would not even tell your parents.
You can confide a secret.
[Another man speaking] -
It’s in the blood.
We did not learn music. It is in our blood.
[another man speaking] – The griot is Africa.
[another man speaking] – When you wake...
you leave...
not knowing...
where you are going.
You are Lost."
-snip-
That is the end of this trailer's sub-titles.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THAT VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
(numbers assigned for referencing purposes only)
1. Lili Baobab, 2014
Hi Volker ! when can i see the movie please ?
**
REPLY
2. Volker Goetze, 2017
Hi Lili, you can get a DVD here: https://volkergoetze.bandcamp.com/merch/griot-home-use-only
**
3. Amun Ankh-El, 2012
"what is the name of that song that he is singing when he speaks about the child calls for his mother when he's hungry"
**
REPLY
4. Volker Goetze, 2012
"It's . It will be available with a soundtrack CD once the film is being released. Thank you for asking! I can sent you the text in Mandinka with a French translation.
-snip-
This comment includes Volker Goetze’s email. However adhering to my policy for this blog, I don’t include commenter’s emails.
Also, that song isn’t found on YouTube.
**
5. Volker Goetze, 2012
"@WitnessTheDevine
N'nawo nawo nawo Mother, mother, mother,
dingdinwou ya n'aa kili the child calls his mother.
N'nawo nawo nawo Mother, mother, mother,
dingdinwou ya n'aa kili the child calls his mother.
-snip-
This reply to the commenter's request for lyrics for this song includes Mandinka words and their French translation. Those words above are translated to English by Google translate.
This is probably only a portion of this song’s lyrics as in his response, Volker Goetze wrote that YouTube didn’t allow longer text. He also gave his email address in his comment, but per my policy, I don't include personal email addresses on this blog.
**
6. TheDivineWitness, 2013
"@vgoetze Hello
I just watched the trailer "Griot" in youtube , and i would like to
know where i can buy the dvd here in Senegal?
I would also like to know the name of the griot sin ging in the
debut?(the one thats born in a family of 21kids.
I would also like the lyrics of the song coulon coulon ....i am
mandinka i think i don't need the translation...
Thank you
-snip-
From reading other discussion threads, I learned that this griot’s name is Ablaye Cissoko.
****
Example #2: GRIOT Theatrical Trailer
Volker Goetze, Published on Sep 26, 2013
-snip-
Selected comments:
1. Amun Ankh-El, 2014
"Volker Goetze....could you send to me the exact link so that i could by the song "Mother Mother"?"
**
REPLY
2. Volker Goetze, 2017
"https://volkergoetze.bandcamp.com/album/griot-soundtrack
**
3. BearClaw, 2014
"Looking forward to seeing the entire film!"
**
REPLY
4. Volker Goetze, 2017
"Hi, a DVD is now available here:
https://volkergoetze.bandcamp.com/merch/griot-home-use-only
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Senegal music and dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senegal music and dance. Show all posts
Friday, May 4, 2018
Friday, March 13, 2015
Abou Djouba Deh, Traditional Senegalese Fulbe (Fula) Singer (videos & information)
Edited by Azizi Powell
Revised January 20, 2018
This post showcases seven videos of Abou Djouba Deh, a Senegalese vocalist of traditional Fulbé (Fula; Fulani, Peul) songs. The singer's name is also given as "Abou Djouba" "Abou Diouba" and "Abu Juba".
Brief informational quotes about Fula (Fulani, Fulbé, Peul) culture and brief informational quotes about Abou Djouba Deh are also included in this post.
The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic reasons.
All copyright remains with their owners.
Thanks to Abou Djouba Deh for his musical legacy. Thanks to all others who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT FULA PEOPLE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_people
The Fula people or Fulani or Fulɓe (Fula: Fulɓe; French: Peul; Hausa: Fulani; Portuguese: Fula; Wolof: Pël; Bambara: Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Africa, numbering approximately 40 million people in total. They are one of the most widely dispersed and culturally diverse of the peoples of Africa.[18] The Fulani are bound together by the common language of Fulfulde, as well as by some basic elements of Fulbe culture, such as The pulaaku , a code of conduct common to all Fulani groups.
A significant proportion of their number, (an estimated 13 million), are nomadic, making them the largest pastoral nomadic group in the world.[19] Spread over many countries, they are found mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, but also in Sudan and Egypt...
Total population:
c. 40 Million +
significant concentrations in:
Nigeria, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Chad
****
Music
The Fula have a rich musical culture and play a variety of traditional instruments including drums, hoddu (a plucked skin-covered lute similar to a banjo) and riti or riiti (a one-string bowed instrument similar to a violin), in addition to vocal music. The well known Senegalese Fula popular musician Baaba Maal sings in Pulaar on his recordings. "Zaghareet" or ululation is a popular form of vocal music formed by rapidly moving the tongue sideways and making a sharp, high sound.
Fulani music is as varied as its people."...
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ABOU DJOUBA DEH
From http://www.natari.com/senegal.htm
ABOU DJOUBA DEH ET LE JAARE N'GENNDY
"Quite an interesting style to Abou's mbalax as his incisive vocals put the bite on your ears one minute while his softer side is quite hypnotic the next. The music from the seven members of the group is a pleasure to listen to with the twinkling strings of Mamadou Sy and Djiby Dia's xalams up front and competeing with Moussa Ngning and Elle Mbaye's drumming. Nice bit of keyboard play from Aziz and Baidy Diallo which adds to the overall difference. ( F.T.Index:Cemmedel Kessel, Dewgal, Mounal, Jam E Kasamaas, Dimo, Dental. ) [6T/36M]"
**
Album review: ABOU DJOUBA TEDDOUNGAL TORO TEDDO TC 6.50 COL
"A lovely album of traditional Fula style music that's just full of tinkling xalam, hoddou and kora, plus percussion from tama, talmbatt, etc. Abou is an immensly popular and also a very powerful singer not just in his own ethnic area but is also much appreciated in Dakar. His style is quite similar to Baaba Maal so if you like Baaba then you'll love this one from Abou. Beautiful and atmospheric. (F.T.INDEX: Doro Dia, Demiba, Diao Dia, Poullo-Oro, Yobe-Garr, Cire Kane, Thilo Ba, Bodial.) [8T/30M] "
-snip-
This album review is an excerpt from an alphabetical listing of reviews of various Senegalese albums.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing dates on YouTube with the examples with the oldest dates presented first.
Example #1: abu juba/yewwende
barubah54, Uploaded on Jun 19, 2008
www.mbiimi.com
Music
"Yéwendé" by Abou Diouba Deh, le Jaaré N'Genndy, Abou Diouba Deh, le Jaaré N'Genndy
****
Example #2: Abou djouba Deh
Al Hussein Ly, Uploaded on Nov 13, 2010
pulagu,
ina welii
this selection of Abou Djouba's songs reminds any peulh (fulani) back home
****
Example #3: Abou Diouba Deh: Beeli Seeno | Fulbe(Fulani) music
Ethio0203, Uploaded on Dec 21, 2010
****
Example #4: ABOU DIOUBA /HAMO DIOP/NDEYE COUMBA DIA NOUAKCHOTT
DIAMAL70, Published on May 25, 2012
****
Example #5: Retour triomphal sur scène d'Abou Diouba Deh à Nouakchott [PhotoReportage]
cridem.org Published on Apr 14, 2013
Révélé pour son œuvre musicale qui a marqué des générations et des époques, le chanteur sénégalais Abou Diouba Deh a chauffé Mauricom ce vendredi 12 avril 2013 avec une prestation musicale qui s'est prolongée tard dans la nuit.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
Revealed for his musical work that has influenced generations and eras, Senegalese singer Abu Diouba Deh heated Mauricom this Friday, April 12, 2013 with a musical performance that went on late into the night.
“Revealed” here probably means “celebrated”
****
Examble #6: Abou Djouba Deh - Adama Nilla Sow
2F-Fooyere Fulbe, Published on Nov 14, 2013
Abonnez-vous sur Pulaagu Tv- pour rester au cœur de l'univers Fulbé
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_Hi...
Adama Nilla Sow
****
Example #7: Abou Djouba Deh - Mamoudou Samba Lewyel (Live)
2F-Fooyere Fulbe, Published on Nov 14, 2013
Abonnez-vous sur Pulaagu Tv- pour rester au cœur de l'univers Fulbé
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_Hi...
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Revised January 20, 2018
This post showcases seven videos of Abou Djouba Deh, a Senegalese vocalist of traditional Fulbé (Fula; Fulani, Peul) songs. The singer's name is also given as "Abou Djouba" "Abou Diouba" and "Abu Juba".
Brief informational quotes about Fula (Fulani, Fulbé, Peul) culture and brief informational quotes about Abou Djouba Deh are also included in this post.
The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic reasons.
All copyright remains with their owners.
Thanks to Abou Djouba Deh for his musical legacy. Thanks to all others who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT FULA PEOPLE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_people
The Fula people or Fulani or Fulɓe (Fula: Fulɓe; French: Peul; Hausa: Fulani; Portuguese: Fula; Wolof: Pël; Bambara: Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Africa, numbering approximately 40 million people in total. They are one of the most widely dispersed and culturally diverse of the peoples of Africa.[18] The Fulani are bound together by the common language of Fulfulde, as well as by some basic elements of Fulbe culture, such as The pulaaku , a code of conduct common to all Fulani groups.
A significant proportion of their number, (an estimated 13 million), are nomadic, making them the largest pastoral nomadic group in the world.[19] Spread over many countries, they are found mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, but also in Sudan and Egypt...
Total population:
c. 40 Million +
significant concentrations in:
Nigeria, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Chad
****
Music
The Fula have a rich musical culture and play a variety of traditional instruments including drums, hoddu (a plucked skin-covered lute similar to a banjo) and riti or riiti (a one-string bowed instrument similar to a violin), in addition to vocal music. The well known Senegalese Fula popular musician Baaba Maal sings in Pulaar on his recordings. "Zaghareet" or ululation is a popular form of vocal music formed by rapidly moving the tongue sideways and making a sharp, high sound.
Fulani music is as varied as its people."...
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ABOU DJOUBA DEH
From http://www.natari.com/senegal.htm
ABOU DJOUBA DEH ET LE JAARE N'GENNDY
"Quite an interesting style to Abou's mbalax as his incisive vocals put the bite on your ears one minute while his softer side is quite hypnotic the next. The music from the seven members of the group is a pleasure to listen to with the twinkling strings of Mamadou Sy and Djiby Dia's xalams up front and competeing with Moussa Ngning and Elle Mbaye's drumming. Nice bit of keyboard play from Aziz and Baidy Diallo which adds to the overall difference. ( F.T.Index:Cemmedel Kessel, Dewgal, Mounal, Jam E Kasamaas, Dimo, Dental. ) [6T/36M]"
**
Album review: ABOU DJOUBA TEDDOUNGAL TORO TEDDO TC 6.50 COL
"A lovely album of traditional Fula style music that's just full of tinkling xalam, hoddou and kora, plus percussion from tama, talmbatt, etc. Abou is an immensly popular and also a very powerful singer not just in his own ethnic area but is also much appreciated in Dakar. His style is quite similar to Baaba Maal so if you like Baaba then you'll love this one from Abou. Beautiful and atmospheric. (F.T.INDEX: Doro Dia, Demiba, Diao Dia, Poullo-Oro, Yobe-Garr, Cire Kane, Thilo Ba, Bodial.) [8T/30M] "
-snip-
This album review is an excerpt from an alphabetical listing of reviews of various Senegalese albums.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing dates on YouTube with the examples with the oldest dates presented first.
Example #1: abu juba/yewwende
barubah54, Uploaded on Jun 19, 2008
www.mbiimi.com
Music
"Yéwendé" by Abou Diouba Deh, le Jaaré N'Genndy, Abou Diouba Deh, le Jaaré N'Genndy
****
Example #2: Abou djouba Deh
Al Hussein Ly, Uploaded on Nov 13, 2010
pulagu,
ina welii
this selection of Abou Djouba's songs reminds any peulh (fulani) back home
****
Example #3: Abou Diouba Deh: Beeli Seeno | Fulbe(Fulani) music
Ethio0203, Uploaded on Dec 21, 2010
****
Example #4: ABOU DIOUBA /HAMO DIOP/NDEYE COUMBA DIA NOUAKCHOTT
DIAMAL70, Published on May 25, 2012
****
Example #5: Retour triomphal sur scène d'Abou Diouba Deh à Nouakchott [PhotoReportage]
cridem.org Published on Apr 14, 2013
Révélé pour son œuvre musicale qui a marqué des générations et des époques, le chanteur sénégalais Abou Diouba Deh a chauffé Mauricom ce vendredi 12 avril 2013 avec une prestation musicale qui s'est prolongée tard dans la nuit.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
Revealed for his musical work that has influenced generations and eras, Senegalese singer Abu Diouba Deh heated Mauricom this Friday, April 12, 2013 with a musical performance that went on late into the night.
“Revealed” here probably means “celebrated”
****
Examble #6: Abou Djouba Deh - Adama Nilla Sow
2F-Fooyere Fulbe, Published on Nov 14, 2013
Abonnez-vous sur Pulaagu Tv- pour rester au cœur de l'univers Fulbé
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_Hi...
Adama Nilla Sow
****
Example #7: Abou Djouba Deh - Mamoudou Samba Lewyel (Live)
2F-Fooyere Fulbe, Published on Nov 14, 2013
Abonnez-vous sur Pulaagu Tv- pour rester au cœur de l'univers Fulbé
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_Hi...
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Jola (Diola) Music & Dance (West Africa)'s Hand Held Percussion Instrument
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Update -April 22, 2024
This pancocojams post presents six videos of Jola (Diola) music and dance, with special focus on the clave-like instrument that is played by the female singers/dancers.* Information about the Jola (Diola) people is also included in this post.
I don't know the name of the Jola instrument that I'm referring to as a "clave-like instrument". If you know the name of this instrument, please add it in the comment section of this post. Thanks in advance!
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who keep the dance and music traditions of Africa alive. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
The original title for this post referred to what I though was the "clave-like" aspect of these instruments. Since publishing that post, I've learned more about "claves" and besides both of these instruments being of African origin and both being percussive instruments that are played throughout the music/dancing, I'm not sure that the Jola instrument were a precursor of claves.
Here's some information about claves from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claves
"Claves... are a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short (about 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in), thick dowels. Traditionally they were made of wood...When struck they produce a bright clicking noise."
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOLA PEOPLE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jola_people
"The Jola (Diola, in French transliteration) are an ethnic group found in Senegal (where they predominate in the region of Casamance), the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. There are great numbers on the Atlantic coast between the southern banks of the Gambia River, the Casamance region of Senegal and the northern part of Guinea-Bissau. The Jola are believed to have preceded the Mande and Fula peoples in the riverine coast of Senegambia and may have migrated into Casamance before the 13th century. The Jola and Serer people with whom they have an ancient relationship with[2] are believed to be some of the oldest historical inhabitants of the Senegambia Region.[3] The Jola language is distinct from the Dioula language of the Dioula (Dyoula) Mande people of the Gambia,
Upper Niger and the Kong highlands of Burkina Faso."
****
From http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/legends-spotlight-on-daniel-lamou-jatta-the-sound-of-akonting
..."The Jola, Manjak (Manjaco, Manjago), Bujogo (Bijago), Papel, and Balanta are neighboring rice-farming peoples with similar cultures and social systems. Their traditional village-based agrarian societies are non-hierarchical without the tripartite caste system of their Mande, Wolof, and Fulbe (Fula, Fulani, Peul) neighbors. This being the case, these people have no griot caste nor do they have traditions of professional/semi-professional music-making and praise-singing (i.e. composing and performing laudatory songs for gratuities). Amongst the Jola, Manjak, Bujogo, Papel, and Balanta, playing the lute-- like all other forms of music-making-- is a vernacular social activity open to all, rather than being the exclusive domain of specialist music/word artisans...
While Daniel [Laemouahuma Jatta, the Jola scholar from The Gambia] set about his work to preserve and perpetuate the ekonting in Gambia, the instrument was faring a little better in neighboring Casamance, the crucible of the tradition. Unlike the Gambian Jola, the Jola are the largest ethnic group in Casamance with something like two-thirds of the total population of that region. This is the heartland of the Jola people and culture, especially in Lower Casamance, the region along the southwestern shores of the Casamance River.
According to some tradition-bearers, the actual birthplace of the ekonting is the village of Kanjanka in Lower Casamance...
Thanks to the crucial ground-breaking work of Daniel Jatta and others, there is growing global awareness of ekonting (akonting) and its siblings in the large diverse family of West African folk/artisan lutes, which have been hitherto overlooked. These instruments are just now beginning to get the international recognition and attention they deserve as living ancestors of the banjo. Many museums around the world have updated their collections to include the ekonting and other members of the West African folk/artisan lute family, while banjo historians and ethnomusicologists have begun to broaden the range of their focus to take these instruments.
Author: Oko Drammeh"
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates with the oldest examples given first.
As somewhat of an aside, notice the number of videos that include the saxophone being played with this traditional music.
Video #1: Mike Bennett presents...Jola dance
Omarmane, Uploaded on May 3, 2008
Captured by Mike Bennett in Kafountine, Senegal. This is the dance style of the Jola tribe.
-snip-
cavaleer2, a commenter wrote "These rhythms are SMOKIN! Love Bugarabou. Respect from USA. That's a touch dance too.”
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougarabou for information about the Jola drums known as "bougarabou".
****
Video #2: Mike Bennett presents...more Jola dance
omarmane, Uploaded on Jul 23, 2009
In the beautiful village of Kafountine, Senegal.
****
Video #3: Jola at Lamin-Feb 2010
platini64, Uploaded on Apr 7, 2010
Jola music at a wedding in Gambia(Feb 2010). More at www.onegambia.com
****
Video #4: Jola Music Performance at The Roots Festival Gambia
HarmattanProductions, Uploaded on Sep 23, 2011
Music Tradition of Jola (Diola) people in Gambia. Filmed at The Roots Festival, Gambia
****
Video #5: CASAMANCE - Mariage Diola IgoRama
Tapha Diedhiou, Published on Jan 6, 2013
Mariage de Cheikh Sémou DIEDHIOU et de Rama Dia, oussouye, le 26 décembre 2010.
****
Video #6: Traditional African dance. Diola. Cap Skiring. Casamance.Senegal.
Андрей Сапронов, Published on Jan 12, 2014
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Latest Update -April 22, 2024
This pancocojams post presents six videos of Jola (Diola) music and dance, with special focus on the clave-like instrument that is played by the female singers/dancers.* Information about the Jola (Diola) people is also included in this post.
I don't know the name of the Jola instrument that I'm referring to as a "clave-like instrument". If you know the name of this instrument, please add it in the comment section of this post. Thanks in advance!
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who keep the dance and music traditions of Africa alive. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
The original title for this post referred to what I though was the "clave-like" aspect of these instruments. Since publishing that post, I've learned more about "claves" and besides both of these instruments being of African origin and both being percussive instruments that are played throughout the music/dancing, I'm not sure that the Jola instrument were a precursor of claves.
Here's some information about claves from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claves
"Claves... are a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short (about 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in), thick dowels. Traditionally they were made of wood...When struck they produce a bright clicking noise."
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOLA PEOPLE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jola_people
"The Jola (Diola, in French transliteration) are an ethnic group found in Senegal (where they predominate in the region of Casamance), the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. There are great numbers on the Atlantic coast between the southern banks of the Gambia River, the Casamance region of Senegal and the northern part of Guinea-Bissau. The Jola are believed to have preceded the Mande and Fula peoples in the riverine coast of Senegambia and may have migrated into Casamance before the 13th century. The Jola and Serer people with whom they have an ancient relationship with[2] are believed to be some of the oldest historical inhabitants of the Senegambia Region.[3] The Jola language is distinct from the Dioula language of the Dioula (Dyoula) Mande people of the Gambia,
Upper Niger and the Kong highlands of Burkina Faso."
****
From http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/legends-spotlight-on-daniel-lamou-jatta-the-sound-of-akonting
..."The Jola, Manjak (Manjaco, Manjago), Bujogo (Bijago), Papel, and Balanta are neighboring rice-farming peoples with similar cultures and social systems. Their traditional village-based agrarian societies are non-hierarchical without the tripartite caste system of their Mande, Wolof, and Fulbe (Fula, Fulani, Peul) neighbors. This being the case, these people have no griot caste nor do they have traditions of professional/semi-professional music-making and praise-singing (i.e. composing and performing laudatory songs for gratuities). Amongst the Jola, Manjak, Bujogo, Papel, and Balanta, playing the lute-- like all other forms of music-making-- is a vernacular social activity open to all, rather than being the exclusive domain of specialist music/word artisans...
While Daniel [Laemouahuma Jatta, the Jola scholar from The Gambia] set about his work to preserve and perpetuate the ekonting in Gambia, the instrument was faring a little better in neighboring Casamance, the crucible of the tradition. Unlike the Gambian Jola, the Jola are the largest ethnic group in Casamance with something like two-thirds of the total population of that region. This is the heartland of the Jola people and culture, especially in Lower Casamance, the region along the southwestern shores of the Casamance River.
According to some tradition-bearers, the actual birthplace of the ekonting is the village of Kanjanka in Lower Casamance...
Thanks to the crucial ground-breaking work of Daniel Jatta and others, there is growing global awareness of ekonting (akonting) and its siblings in the large diverse family of West African folk/artisan lutes, which have been hitherto overlooked. These instruments are just now beginning to get the international recognition and attention they deserve as living ancestors of the banjo. Many museums around the world have updated their collections to include the ekonting and other members of the West African folk/artisan lute family, while banjo historians and ethnomusicologists have begun to broaden the range of their focus to take these instruments.
Author: Oko Drammeh"
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates with the oldest examples given first.
As somewhat of an aside, notice the number of videos that include the saxophone being played with this traditional music.
Video #1: Mike Bennett presents...Jola dance
Omarmane, Uploaded on May 3, 2008
Captured by Mike Bennett in Kafountine, Senegal. This is the dance style of the Jola tribe.
-snip-
cavaleer2, a commenter wrote "These rhythms are SMOKIN! Love Bugarabou. Respect from USA. That's a touch dance too.”
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bougarabou for information about the Jola drums known as "bougarabou".
****
Video #2: Mike Bennett presents...more Jola dance
omarmane, Uploaded on Jul 23, 2009
In the beautiful village of Kafountine, Senegal.
****
Video #3: Jola at Lamin-Feb 2010
platini64, Uploaded on Apr 7, 2010
Jola music at a wedding in Gambia(Feb 2010). More at www.onegambia.com
****
Video #4: Jola Music Performance at The Roots Festival Gambia
HarmattanProductions, Uploaded on Sep 23, 2011
Music Tradition of Jola (Diola) people in Gambia. Filmed at The Roots Festival, Gambia
****
Video #5: CASAMANCE - Mariage Diola IgoRama
Tapha Diedhiou, Published on Jan 6, 2013
Mariage de Cheikh Sémou DIEDHIOU et de Rama Dia, oussouye, le 26 décembre 2010.
****
Video #6: Traditional African dance. Diola. Cap Skiring. Casamance.Senegal.
Андрей Сапронов, Published on Jan 12, 2014
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Kankouran Masquerade And Female & Male Circumcision
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents information about and two video examples of the Kankouran (Kankurang) masquerade that is traditionally central to initiation rites in Senegal and Gambia.
This post also presents information & links about the health risks of female genital circumcision (also known as female genital mutilation) and the health risk of male circumcision when done in certain traditional ways.
I should note that while some articles & videos that I've found connect Kankouran with male circumcision, I've not found any online articles that clearly indicate that Kankouran is associated with female genital circumcision. However, information that I've come across (quotes from which are given below) certainly allude to that connection.
I'm 1000% opposed to female genital circumcision, and I'm equally opposed to certain forms of male circumcision. I believe that the dance and music traditions of a culture can be retained & supported apart from cultural traditions that are harmful to people's health & wellbeing.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, health, sociological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who keep the dance and music traditions of Africa alive. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT KANKOURAN MASQUERADE
From http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kankurang&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkankurang%2Bwikipedia%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D579 [translated from Dutch to English...I've made no attempt to edit this to standard American English]
"Kankurang is a mask dance, in which a mask of an animal or scary will essentially be borne. It is an initiation - ritual in Gambia and Senegal. According to tradition, the origin of Kankurang found in Komo, a secret society of hunters whose organization and esoteric practices contributed to the emergence of the Mandinka.
The masks are made of cloth, paper, leaves, bark , grass, animal horns, and combinations thereof. Also, a machete and a stick in the hands worn and the body is colored with vegetable dyes. The masquerades of the Mandinka and Diola are very traditional.
The masked speak in deep voices, proverbs and riddles he communicates with the community. This serves as entertainment for the general public. It also helps in maintaining discipline and protecting members of society from evil spirits and witches .
Moreover masquerade as a link between the human world and the spiritual world. The members of the society show to have the spiritual world through deep respect libations to offer.
There are different forms of Kankurang;
• Ifangbondi: is very dangerous, an invisible spirit can damage culprits, comes only at night;
• Wulengo: protects circumcised youths may not see, against witches, evil spirits and evildoers, children, women and the uninitiated a woman who sees this is barren;
• Jamster: maintaining discipline of the members of society, is performed during weddings, graduations and other ceremonies.
There will be a vigil place and there is a procession through the village. The ritual usually takes place in August and September. Follow Kankurang villagers, they look at his behavior and gestures and perform dances and songs on.
The Kankurang dances staccato and fight with two machetes. The followers are armed with sticks and palm leaves, they beat the rhythm of tom-toms.
The Kankurang teaches young people's cultural identity. The secrets of plants and their medicinal values and hunting techniques are passed.
Since 2005 Kankurang is listed on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity."
****
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/kankouran-show-proves-west-african-dance-company-is-evolving/2012/09/02/98e380ce-f529-11e1-a126-fc5f423715b5_story.html
KanKouran show proves West African dance company is evolving By Pamela Squires, Published: September 2, 2012
"KanKouran West African Dance Company...was formed in 1983 by [artistic director Assane] Konte and former music director Abdou Kounta, who grew up together in Dakar, Senegal. The company takes its name from the Mandingo word “kankouran,” meaning a guide who assists boys’ and girls’ transition into adulthood. Today, the company and its vision of keeping African Americans grounded in their ancestral culture is an important contributor to the District’s unique dance footprint."
-snip-
Italics added to highlight this sentence. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EysB76SNI8w for a video of this dance company that includes a lengthy summary statement about that group. The dance shown doesn't include the Kankouran masquerade.
**
From http://ourforeignserviceadventure.blogspot.com/2013/02/janjanbureh-hippos-crocodiles-and.html [This is an excerpt from a blog about a Westerner traveling in Gambia]
"Around noon we crossed the bridge to the island and soon encountered one very enthusiastic Kankurang. For those of you not familiar, a Kankurang is a man dressed up in a fancy full body suit of dried grass with a creepy looking mask and horns who scares away evil spirits during naming ceremonies (aka circumcision ceremonies for young boys). They generally are seen dancing in the middle of the road and waving machetes, occasionally pretending to stab your car as you drive by. Good times, right?
This particular Kankurang was no different except his tenacity to stay in the road and refuse us passage. Money would have been a suitable option for our freedom but D took the more indignant approach and lightly nudged him with the car until bits of his grass dress came off in the grill. Still waving the machete and momentarily occupied by the car behind us, D was able to make his escape.
After brushing off our run-in because, hey, this is somewhat of a normal occurrence, we made our way to the middle of town and our hotel."
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH RISKS OF FEMALE CIRCUMCISION & LINK TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE HEALTH RISKS OF MALE CIRCUMCISIONS WHEN DONE IN CERTAIN TRADITIONAL WAYS
http://reproductiverights.org/en/document/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-legal-prohibitions-worldwide
"12.11.08 - What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the collective name given to a number of cultural practices that involve the partial or total cutting of female genitals. FGM can be performed as early as infancy and as late as age thirty. However, most commonly, girls experience FGM between four and twelve years of age. The origins of FGM remain unclear.
FGM is a Human Rights Violation
FGM violates a number of human rights of women and girls. Since FGM involves the removal of healthy sexual organs without medical necessity and is usually performed on adolescents and girls, often with harmful physical and psychological consequences, it violates the rights to non-discrimination, health, and bodily integrity. Although FGM is not undertaken with the intention of inflicting harm, its damaging physical, sexual, and psychological effects make it an act of violence against women and children. Finally, FGM sometimes threatens the lives"...
**
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/distinction-between-male-and-female-circumcision
"While medical complications are generally rare for boys who experience foreskin circumcision especially in more developed countries, health consequences for all types of FGM are generally more severe for girls. Girls may experience severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, urinary track complications or infections, fever, wound infection, or septicemia as short-term consequences of female circumcision procedures. In the long-term, women may face urethra damage, incontinence, painful sexual intercourse, and/or sexual dysfunction. Infibulation (type III) is considered the worst offender for long-term consequences in the life of the woman, particularly if an infibulated woman attempts vaginal childbirth."
**
http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2008/11/12/why-male-circumcision-and-fema/
“Independent of how you may feel about male circumcision, it does not normally, or even more than very rarely, lead to long-term medical consequences. FGM nearly always does..."
**
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/flashbks/fgm/fgm.htm October 1995 "Female Circumcision Comes to America"
**
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/maasai-women-end-traditional-female-circumcision-299742.html Maasai Women End Traditional Female Circumcision By Denise Darcel Epoch Times Staff Created: October 3, 2012 Last Updated: March 13, 2013
[This article provides information about an alternative ceremony for Maasi females that does not involve cutting. Information about female genital circumcision experiences in USA is also included in this article. Here are two quotes from that portion of that article: "New York State has the second largest population of FGM [Female Genital Mutilation] victims next to California, according to the CAGeM website...With the influx of immigrants that come to the United States from countries that continue the practice, girls who become United States citizens are at risk of family pressure to perform their native cultural rites of passage."
**
http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/wi/rls/rep/crfgm/10099.htm "The Gambia: Report on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Genital Cutting (FGC)"
...."Founded in 1991, BAFFROW was established to carry out projects and research in the health and environment areas. It is aimed at community health promotion, along with changing many of the puberty rituals. It also focuses at providing alternate sources of income for excisors.
BAFFROW aims at 100 percent eradication of FGM/FGC while respecting the importance of the social and cultural traditions associated with the rites of passage to womanhood.""
-snip-
Italics are added to highlight this statement as one I absolutely concur with.
**
http://www.mrc.ac.za/public/facts19.htm
[This South African article lists the health risks of male circumcision]
..."There are definite risks involved in the surgical procedure of circumcision8. The following complications have been reported:
•Serious infection;
•Severe loss of blood;
•Mutilation;
•Penile amputation; and
•Possible death in extreme cases.
The above mentioned serious complications are due to:
•Poor training of the staff who performed the procedure;
•A lack of appropriate surgical equipment; and
•A lack of patient follow-up."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS OF KANKOURAN MASQUERADE:
Video Example #1: Kankouran et couleur au sud du Sénégal [Kankouran and color in southern Senegal]
layeprostudiombour, Published on Dec 22, 2012
**
Video Example #2: LE KANKURANG RITE D'INITIATION MANDING [The Manding Initiation Rite]
.
CULTURESN, Published on May 2, 2013
Ministère de la Culture et du Patrimoine Historique Classé
Direction du Patrimoine Culturel , République de Gambie
National Concil for Arts and Culture [Ministry of Culture and Historical Heritage
Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Republic of The Gambia
National Concil for Arts and Culture]
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/mendiani-menjani-manjani-dance-drum.html
"Manjani" is a rites of passage dance in Guinea and Mali that is traditionally associated with female genital circumcision. This dance is very popular among dance troupes in the United States that perform West African dances, although few know about its connection to female circumcision.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post presents information about and two video examples of the Kankouran (Kankurang) masquerade that is traditionally central to initiation rites in Senegal and Gambia.
This post also presents information & links about the health risks of female genital circumcision (also known as female genital mutilation) and the health risk of male circumcision when done in certain traditional ways.
I should note that while some articles & videos that I've found connect Kankouran with male circumcision, I've not found any online articles that clearly indicate that Kankouran is associated with female genital circumcision. However, information that I've come across (quotes from which are given below) certainly allude to that connection.
I'm 1000% opposed to female genital circumcision, and I'm equally opposed to certain forms of male circumcision. I believe that the dance and music traditions of a culture can be retained & supported apart from cultural traditions that are harmful to people's health & wellbeing.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, health, sociological, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who keep the dance and music traditions of Africa alive. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT KANKOURAN MASQUERADE
From http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kankurang&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dkankurang%2Bwikipedia%26biw%3D853%26bih%3D579 [translated from Dutch to English...I've made no attempt to edit this to standard American English]
"Kankurang is a mask dance, in which a mask of an animal or scary will essentially be borne. It is an initiation - ritual in Gambia and Senegal. According to tradition, the origin of Kankurang found in Komo, a secret society of hunters whose organization and esoteric practices contributed to the emergence of the Mandinka.
The masks are made of cloth, paper, leaves, bark , grass, animal horns, and combinations thereof. Also, a machete and a stick in the hands worn and the body is colored with vegetable dyes. The masquerades of the Mandinka and Diola are very traditional.
The masked speak in deep voices, proverbs and riddles he communicates with the community. This serves as entertainment for the general public. It also helps in maintaining discipline and protecting members of society from evil spirits and witches .
Moreover masquerade as a link between the human world and the spiritual world. The members of the society show to have the spiritual world through deep respect libations to offer.
There are different forms of Kankurang;
• Ifangbondi: is very dangerous, an invisible spirit can damage culprits, comes only at night;
• Wulengo: protects circumcised youths may not see, against witches, evil spirits and evildoers, children, women and the uninitiated a woman who sees this is barren;
• Jamster: maintaining discipline of the members of society, is performed during weddings, graduations and other ceremonies.
There will be a vigil place and there is a procession through the village. The ritual usually takes place in August and September. Follow Kankurang villagers, they look at his behavior and gestures and perform dances and songs on.
The Kankurang dances staccato and fight with two machetes. The followers are armed with sticks and palm leaves, they beat the rhythm of tom-toms.
The Kankurang teaches young people's cultural identity. The secrets of plants and their medicinal values and hunting techniques are passed.
Since 2005 Kankurang is listed on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity."
****
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/kankouran-show-proves-west-african-dance-company-is-evolving/2012/09/02/98e380ce-f529-11e1-a126-fc5f423715b5_story.html
KanKouran show proves West African dance company is evolving By Pamela Squires, Published: September 2, 2012
"KanKouran West African Dance Company...was formed in 1983 by [artistic director Assane] Konte and former music director Abdou Kounta, who grew up together in Dakar, Senegal. The company takes its name from the Mandingo word “kankouran,” meaning a guide who assists boys’ and girls’ transition into adulthood. Today, the company and its vision of keeping African Americans grounded in their ancestral culture is an important contributor to the District’s unique dance footprint."
-snip-
Italics added to highlight this sentence. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EysB76SNI8w for a video of this dance company that includes a lengthy summary statement about that group. The dance shown doesn't include the Kankouran masquerade.
**
From http://ourforeignserviceadventure.blogspot.com/2013/02/janjanbureh-hippos-crocodiles-and.html [This is an excerpt from a blog about a Westerner traveling in Gambia]
"Around noon we crossed the bridge to the island and soon encountered one very enthusiastic Kankurang. For those of you not familiar, a Kankurang is a man dressed up in a fancy full body suit of dried grass with a creepy looking mask and horns who scares away evil spirits during naming ceremonies (aka circumcision ceremonies for young boys). They generally are seen dancing in the middle of the road and waving machetes, occasionally pretending to stab your car as you drive by. Good times, right?
This particular Kankurang was no different except his tenacity to stay in the road and refuse us passage. Money would have been a suitable option for our freedom but D took the more indignant approach and lightly nudged him with the car until bits of his grass dress came off in the grill. Still waving the machete and momentarily occupied by the car behind us, D was able to make his escape.
After brushing off our run-in because, hey, this is somewhat of a normal occurrence, we made our way to the middle of town and our hotel."
****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH RISKS OF FEMALE CIRCUMCISION & LINK TO AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE HEALTH RISKS OF MALE CIRCUMCISIONS WHEN DONE IN CERTAIN TRADITIONAL WAYS
http://reproductiverights.org/en/document/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-legal-prohibitions-worldwide
"12.11.08 - What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the collective name given to a number of cultural practices that involve the partial or total cutting of female genitals. FGM can be performed as early as infancy and as late as age thirty. However, most commonly, girls experience FGM between four and twelve years of age. The origins of FGM remain unclear.
FGM is a Human Rights Violation
FGM violates a number of human rights of women and girls. Since FGM involves the removal of healthy sexual organs without medical necessity and is usually performed on adolescents and girls, often with harmful physical and psychological consequences, it violates the rights to non-discrimination, health, and bodily integrity. Although FGM is not undertaken with the intention of inflicting harm, its damaging physical, sexual, and psychological effects make it an act of violence against women and children. Finally, FGM sometimes threatens the lives"...
**
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/distinction-between-male-and-female-circumcision
"While medical complications are generally rare for boys who experience foreskin circumcision especially in more developed countries, health consequences for all types of FGM are generally more severe for girls. Girls may experience severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, urinary track complications or infections, fever, wound infection, or septicemia as short-term consequences of female circumcision procedures. In the long-term, women may face urethra damage, incontinence, painful sexual intercourse, and/or sexual dysfunction. Infibulation (type III) is considered the worst offender for long-term consequences in the life of the woman, particularly if an infibulated woman attempts vaginal childbirth."
**
http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2008/11/12/why-male-circumcision-and-fema/
“Independent of how you may feel about male circumcision, it does not normally, or even more than very rarely, lead to long-term medical consequences. FGM nearly always does..."
**
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/unbound/flashbks/fgm/fgm.htm October 1995 "Female Circumcision Comes to America"
**
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/maasai-women-end-traditional-female-circumcision-299742.html Maasai Women End Traditional Female Circumcision By Denise Darcel Epoch Times Staff Created: October 3, 2012 Last Updated: March 13, 2013
[This article provides information about an alternative ceremony for Maasi females that does not involve cutting. Information about female genital circumcision experiences in USA is also included in this article. Here are two quotes from that portion of that article: "New York State has the second largest population of FGM [Female Genital Mutilation] victims next to California, according to the CAGeM website...With the influx of immigrants that come to the United States from countries that continue the practice, girls who become United States citizens are at risk of family pressure to perform their native cultural rites of passage."
**
http://2001-2009.state.gov/g/wi/rls/rep/crfgm/10099.htm "The Gambia: Report on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Genital Cutting (FGC)"
...."Founded in 1991, BAFFROW was established to carry out projects and research in the health and environment areas. It is aimed at community health promotion, along with changing many of the puberty rituals. It also focuses at providing alternate sources of income for excisors.
BAFFROW aims at 100 percent eradication of FGM/FGC while respecting the importance of the social and cultural traditions associated with the rites of passage to womanhood.""
-snip-
Italics are added to highlight this statement as one I absolutely concur with.
**
http://www.mrc.ac.za/public/facts19.htm
[This South African article lists the health risks of male circumcision]
..."There are definite risks involved in the surgical procedure of circumcision8. The following complications have been reported:
•Serious infection;
•Severe loss of blood;
•Mutilation;
•Penile amputation; and
•Possible death in extreme cases.
The above mentioned serious complications are due to:
•Poor training of the staff who performed the procedure;
•A lack of appropriate surgical equipment; and
•A lack of patient follow-up."
****
FEATURED VIDEOS OF KANKOURAN MASQUERADE:
Video Example #1: Kankouran et couleur au sud du Sénégal [Kankouran and color in southern Senegal]
layeprostudiombour, Published on Dec 22, 2012
**
Video Example #2: LE KANKURANG RITE D'INITIATION MANDING [The Manding Initiation Rite]
.
CULTURESN, Published on May 2, 2013
Ministère de la Culture et du Patrimoine Historique Classé
Direction du Patrimoine Culturel , République de Gambie
National Concil for Arts and Culture [Ministry of Culture and Historical Heritage
Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Republic of The Gambia
National Concil for Arts and Culture]
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/mendiani-menjani-manjani-dance-drum.html
"Manjani" is a rites of passage dance in Guinea and Mali that is traditionally associated with female genital circumcision. This dance is very popular among dance troupes in the United States that perform West African dances, although few know about its connection to female circumcision.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Mame Coumba Bang (Senegalese River Goddess), Information & Comments
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part III of a three part series on the name "Coumba" in Senegalese culture.
This post features an excerpt of and my comments about a 2007 university paper by Michelle Margoles, 2007 about the Saint Louis, Senegal river goddess Mame Coumba Bang.
An Addendum to this post also includes a Senegalese traditional dance video with a title that includes the name "Coumba".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/senegals-orchestre-baobab-coumba-sound.html for Part I of this series.
Part I showcases a sound file of Orchestre Baobab's song entitled "Coumba". That song is also featured in a video of Dakar, Senegal's street life. Information about orchestra Baobab and comments from those video's viewer comments threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/videos-of-baaba-maal-ndeye-coumba-dia.html for Part II of this series.
Part II showcases a video of a song by the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli and a video of a song by the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck. While I'm delighted to have found these videos, and showcase them on this blog post, I confess that part of my delight was that these videos added to the information that I began gathering about the name "Coumba". As part of that search, the Addendum of this post includes information from a Wikepedia article about the Senegalese King Kumba Ndoffene Joof II.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
BACKGROUND
To make a long story kinda short, I learned that Coca Cola's Super Bowl XLVIII ad featured people of different races and ethnicities singing "America The Beautiful"* in various languages. One of the languages featured in that ad is Senegalese-French.** I then found out that Coca Cola also posted complementary videos that focused on each of the people singing in those other languages, including a video of the young woman taping the Senegalese-French portion of that ad. The inclusion of the Senegalese-French language in that Coca Cola video prompted me to find out how a traditional Senegalese language sounds.
*This is a correction of the wrong title that I gave this song in my original post.
Since I wasn't sure about which languages are traditionally spoken in Senegal, the first website that I visited was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal
where I red this information:
"Senegal...officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA… is a country in West Africa...
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca[citation needed]. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur. The Serer language is widely spoken by both Serers and non-Serers (including president Sall, whose mother and wife are Serers); so are the Cangin languages, whose speakers are ethnically Serers...
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula[37] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7%),[38] then others such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.)"
-snip-
Then I started a YouTube search and happened upon a video of Senegal's Ochestre Baobab's Coumba (given as Example #1 in Part I of this series). And since I'm interested in names & name meanings, I began to started a Google search for the meaning of the word "Coumba". If I had continued on YouTube, I would have found the video given as Example #2 in Part I of that post. That video (which is actually a sound file), includes a comment that indicates that "Coumba" is a rather common name in Senegal and Gambia. But prior to finding that video & reading that comment, I found the paper on the river goddess Mame Coumba Bang (that I subsequently featured in Part III of this series), information about a Senegalese king whose name was Kumba, and the videos that are featured in this post.
All together, I would say that I've had a great time learning something more about Senegalese culture, all because of that Coca Cola Super Bowl (American football) ad.
**Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs;
Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful - Official :60, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1qBIaEZp4 Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful in Senegalese-French; and http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/03/14/tagalog-featured-coca-colas-super-bowl-ad for a listing of the other languages spoken in that commercial, with special emphasis on the Tagalog language.
By the way, some conservatives in the United States are up in arms about that Coca Cola video, complaining that the national anthem shouldn't be sung in any language but English (Note: "America The Beautiful" isn't the United States' official national anthem".) But I like that ad because of its content, and because it led me to this cultural research about Senegal, West Africa which I am now sharing with you.
****
EXCERPT OF "MAME COUMBA BANG, A LIVING MYTH AND EVOLVING LEGEND"
[Michelle Margoles, 2007; Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for Senegal: Arts and Culture, SIT Study Abroad, Fall, 2007]
From http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=isp_collection
"In Saint Louis, Mame Coumba Bang is the goddess of the river. She watches over the city, and protects the inhabitants from harm such as sickness, death, drowning, and troubles during pregnancy and giving birth. She is said to bring luck and to accompany the inhabitants in time of trouble or hardship but she does not cure. .. “She protects your from people looking negatively on you and speaking badly about you. (M Niang, 2007). In order to ensure one’s safety, however, one has to please the goddess by giving sacrifices….curdled milk will [sic] sugared, some couscous, some cola […] so that the city is happy, and to have peace. [Diop, 2007]. If one doesn’t do this, she becomes angry and punishes the city...
Among Saint Louisians, Mame Coumba Bang is real-she is ...a true reality. [Dieng ,2007)...
Mame Coumba Bang is not alone in protecting the city, however. She has a large family of gods and goddesses who live in the river with her...
Although they live in the river, Mame Coumba Bang and the other spirits do not stay in the water all of the time... “Every morning, well before sunrise, she would come to sit at the edge of the river to take advantage of the fresh air. When the sun starts to rise, she would go back to her home . (Le Soleil, 22 August 1990, 8). Saint Louisians would see her every morning in the same spot , with the same bench, and say “There is Mame Coumba with her bench”. This explains how she got her last name Bang which is Wolof for “bench.”...
-snip-
This paper provides much more information about Mame Coumba Bang, including the information that all her offerings are the color white, and including the theory (credited to Iba Gueye Issakha) that the French colonizers promoted the resurrection of the traditional legends about Mame Coumba Bang as a means of weakening the force of Islam in Senegal, since the Muslims were against the French colonization.
it seems to me that it is important to note that the French didn't create the legend of Mame Coumba Bang, although her name was "Frenchified" as a result of that European colonization - prior to the French coming to Senegal, the Senegalese people believed in water deities.
The historical belief in water gods and goddesses is worldwide. Traditional water deities in Africa include "Tano" (Akan, Ghana) and "Oshun" & "Yemanya" (Yoruba, Nigeria). "Poseidon" (Greek), "Neptune" (Roman), and Ganga (India) are also water deities.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Water_deities for more names of water deities throughout the world.
Also, visit this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mami_Wata
That page indicates that "Mami Wata (Mammy Water) is venerated in West, Central, Southern Africa, and in the African diaspora in the Caribbean and parts of North and South America. Mami Wata spirits are usually female, but are sometimes male."
-snip-
Included on that page is a chart that list the names of water deities in numerous African and Caribbean nations. It's interesting that no information is included in that chart for Senegal or for the Saint Louisian, Senegalese deity Mame Coumba Bang. [I don't know how to add to that Wikipedia page. Hopefully, someone will do so, in part, as a result of this post.]
Until I read that page on Mami Wata, I didn't realize that the word "Mame" in the name "Mame Coumba Bang" meant "mother". I thought it was a title like "madam".
Incidentally, this website http://archive.phonetics.ucla.edu/Language/WOL/wol_word-list_1981_01.html indicates that the Wolof word for mother is "ndey" / "ndeɪ". I haven't been able to find the word for "mother" in other traditional Senegalese languages. However, now that I recognize the connection of "mame" with the now offensive word "mammy", I realize that the word "Mame" in the name of that Senegalese river goddess was of French derivation.
I'm still searching for information about the meaning of the Senegalese name "Coumba" and whether it's only (or mostly) a female personal name (Note: Via Google, I've also found "Coumba" used as a surname).
Does anyone reading this know what the names Zandi, Coumba, and Kumba mean in Senegal and the Gambia? If so, I'd appreciate you sharing that information in the comment section below.
****
ADDENDUM #1
As somewhat of an aside, I happened upon this information via Google search:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/sn/coumba-bang.html
“Hotel Coumba Bang is located just a 3-minute drive from Saint Louis City Centre.(Senegal)”.
-snip-
Saint Louis, Senegal is where the worship of the goddess "Mame Coumba Bang" was and still is centered.
****
ADDENDUM #2
My search for the meaning of "Coumba" also led me to this YouTube video:
Coumba Am Ndeye...Coumba amul Ndeye
MrGim01, Published on Mar 28, 2012
Theatre Sorano
-snip-
At .013 of that video the sub-title both times the word “Coumba” is given as “Kumba”.
****
RELATED LINK
Click http://nyangoma.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/welcome-child-by-coumba-toure/ for a praise poem for a new child by Coumba Toure. Coumba Toure's biographical statement describes her as a "Senegalese feminist changemaker, artist, publisher and educator."
****
Thanks to the Michelle Margoles for her well written, interesting, and informative paper on Mame Cuomba Bang. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the dance troupe whose video is featured in this post.
Thanks also to the producers of those Coca Cola commercials which started me on this particular cultural journey.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is Part III of a three part series on the name "Coumba" in Senegalese culture.
This post features an excerpt of and my comments about a 2007 university paper by Michelle Margoles, 2007 about the Saint Louis, Senegal river goddess Mame Coumba Bang.
An Addendum to this post also includes a Senegalese traditional dance video with a title that includes the name "Coumba".
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/senegals-orchestre-baobab-coumba-sound.html for Part I of this series.
Part I showcases a sound file of Orchestre Baobab's song entitled "Coumba". That song is also featured in a video of Dakar, Senegal's street life. Information about orchestra Baobab and comments from those video's viewer comments threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/videos-of-baaba-maal-ndeye-coumba-dia.html for Part II of this series.
Part II showcases a video of a song by the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli and a video of a song by the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck. While I'm delighted to have found these videos, and showcase them on this blog post, I confess that part of my delight was that these videos added to the information that I began gathering about the name "Coumba". As part of that search, the Addendum of this post includes information from a Wikepedia article about the Senegalese King Kumba Ndoffene Joof II.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
BACKGROUND
To make a long story kinda short, I learned that Coca Cola's Super Bowl XLVIII ad featured people of different races and ethnicities singing "America The Beautiful"* in various languages. One of the languages featured in that ad is Senegalese-French.** I then found out that Coca Cola also posted complementary videos that focused on each of the people singing in those other languages, including a video of the young woman taping the Senegalese-French portion of that ad. The inclusion of the Senegalese-French language in that Coca Cola video prompted me to find out how a traditional Senegalese language sounds.
*This is a correction of the wrong title that I gave this song in my original post.
Since I wasn't sure about which languages are traditionally spoken in Senegal, the first website that I visited was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal
where I red this information:
"Senegal...officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA… is a country in West Africa...
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca[citation needed]. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur. The Serer language is widely spoken by both Serers and non-Serers (including president Sall, whose mother and wife are Serers); so are the Cangin languages, whose speakers are ethnically Serers...
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula[37] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7%),[38] then others such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.)"
-snip-
Then I started a YouTube search and happened upon a video of Senegal's Ochestre Baobab's Coumba (given as Example #1 in Part I of this series). And since I'm interested in names & name meanings, I began to started a Google search for the meaning of the word "Coumba". If I had continued on YouTube, I would have found the video given as Example #2 in Part I of that post. That video (which is actually a sound file), includes a comment that indicates that "Coumba" is a rather common name in Senegal and Gambia. But prior to finding that video & reading that comment, I found the paper on the river goddess Mame Coumba Bang (that I subsequently featured in Part III of this series), information about a Senegalese king whose name was Kumba, and the videos that are featured in this post.
All together, I would say that I've had a great time learning something more about Senegalese culture, all because of that Coca Cola Super Bowl (American football) ad.
**Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs;
Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful - Official :60, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1qBIaEZp4 Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful in Senegalese-French; and http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/03/14/tagalog-featured-coca-colas-super-bowl-ad for a listing of the other languages spoken in that commercial, with special emphasis on the Tagalog language.
By the way, some conservatives in the United States are up in arms about that Coca Cola video, complaining that the national anthem shouldn't be sung in any language but English (Note: "America The Beautiful" isn't the United States' official national anthem".) But I like that ad because of its content, and because it led me to this cultural research about Senegal, West Africa which I am now sharing with you.
****
EXCERPT OF "MAME COUMBA BANG, A LIVING MYTH AND EVOLVING LEGEND"
[Michelle Margoles, 2007; Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for Senegal: Arts and Culture, SIT Study Abroad, Fall, 2007]
From http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=isp_collection
"In Saint Louis, Mame Coumba Bang is the goddess of the river. She watches over the city, and protects the inhabitants from harm such as sickness, death, drowning, and troubles during pregnancy and giving birth. She is said to bring luck and to accompany the inhabitants in time of trouble or hardship but she does not cure. .. “She protects your from people looking negatively on you and speaking badly about you. (M Niang, 2007). In order to ensure one’s safety, however, one has to please the goddess by giving sacrifices….curdled milk will [sic] sugared, some couscous, some cola […] so that the city is happy, and to have peace. [Diop, 2007]. If one doesn’t do this, she becomes angry and punishes the city...
Among Saint Louisians, Mame Coumba Bang is real-she is ...a true reality. [Dieng ,2007)...
Mame Coumba Bang is not alone in protecting the city, however. She has a large family of gods and goddesses who live in the river with her...
Although they live in the river, Mame Coumba Bang and the other spirits do not stay in the water all of the time... “Every morning, well before sunrise, she would come to sit at the edge of the river to take advantage of the fresh air. When the sun starts to rise, she would go back to her home . (Le Soleil, 22 August 1990, 8). Saint Louisians would see her every morning in the same spot , with the same bench, and say “There is Mame Coumba with her bench”. This explains how she got her last name Bang which is Wolof for “bench.”...
-snip-
This paper provides much more information about Mame Coumba Bang, including the information that all her offerings are the color white, and including the theory (credited to Iba Gueye Issakha) that the French colonizers promoted the resurrection of the traditional legends about Mame Coumba Bang as a means of weakening the force of Islam in Senegal, since the Muslims were against the French colonization.
it seems to me that it is important to note that the French didn't create the legend of Mame Coumba Bang, although her name was "Frenchified" as a result of that European colonization - prior to the French coming to Senegal, the Senegalese people believed in water deities.
The historical belief in water gods and goddesses is worldwide. Traditional water deities in Africa include "Tano" (Akan, Ghana) and "Oshun" & "Yemanya" (Yoruba, Nigeria). "Poseidon" (Greek), "Neptune" (Roman), and Ganga (India) are also water deities.
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Water_deities for more names of water deities throughout the world.
Also, visit this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mami_Wata
That page indicates that "Mami Wata (Mammy Water) is venerated in West, Central, Southern Africa, and in the African diaspora in the Caribbean and parts of North and South America. Mami Wata spirits are usually female, but are sometimes male."
-snip-
Included on that page is a chart that list the names of water deities in numerous African and Caribbean nations. It's interesting that no information is included in that chart for Senegal or for the Saint Louisian, Senegalese deity Mame Coumba Bang. [I don't know how to add to that Wikipedia page. Hopefully, someone will do so, in part, as a result of this post.]
Until I read that page on Mami Wata, I didn't realize that the word "Mame" in the name "Mame Coumba Bang" meant "mother". I thought it was a title like "madam".
Incidentally, this website http://archive.phonetics.ucla.edu/Language/WOL/wol_word-list_1981_01.html indicates that the Wolof word for mother is "ndey" / "ndeɪ". I haven't been able to find the word for "mother" in other traditional Senegalese languages. However, now that I recognize the connection of "mame" with the now offensive word "mammy", I realize that the word "Mame" in the name of that Senegalese river goddess was of French derivation.
I'm still searching for information about the meaning of the Senegalese name "Coumba" and whether it's only (or mostly) a female personal name (Note: Via Google, I've also found "Coumba" used as a surname).
Does anyone reading this know what the names Zandi, Coumba, and Kumba mean in Senegal and the Gambia? If so, I'd appreciate you sharing that information in the comment section below.
****
ADDENDUM #1
As somewhat of an aside, I happened upon this information via Google search:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/sn/coumba-bang.html
“Hotel Coumba Bang is located just a 3-minute drive from Saint Louis City Centre.(Senegal)”.
-snip-
Saint Louis, Senegal is where the worship of the goddess "Mame Coumba Bang" was and still is centered.
****
ADDENDUM #2
My search for the meaning of "Coumba" also led me to this YouTube video:
Coumba Am Ndeye...Coumba amul Ndeye
MrGim01, Published on Mar 28, 2012
Theatre Sorano
-snip-
At .013 of that video the sub-title both times the word “Coumba” is given as “Kumba”.
****
RELATED LINK
Click http://nyangoma.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/welcome-child-by-coumba-toure/ for a praise poem for a new child by Coumba Toure. Coumba Toure's biographical statement describes her as a "Senegalese feminist changemaker, artist, publisher and educator."
****
Thanks to the Michelle Margoles for her well written, interesting, and informative paper on Mame Cuomba Bang. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to the dance troupe whose video is featured in this post.
Thanks also to the producers of those Coca Cola commercials which started me on this particular cultural journey.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Videos of Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli & Coumba Gawlo Seck
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part II of a three part series on the name "Coumba" in Senegalese culture.
This post showcases a video of a song by the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli and a video of a song by the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck.
While I'm delighted to have found these videos, and showcase them on this blog post, I confess that part of my delight was that these videos added to the information that I began gathering about the name "Coumba". As part of that search, the Addendum of this post includes information from a Wikepedia article about the Senegalese King Kumba Ndoffene Joof II.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/senegals-orchestre-baobab-coumba-sound.html for Part I of this series.
Part I showcases a sound file of Orchestre Baobab's song entitled "Coumba". That song is also featured in a video of Dakar, Senegal's street life. Information about orchestra Baobab and comments from those video's viewer comments threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/mame-coumba-bang-senegalese-river.html for Part III.
Part III showcases an excerpt of and my comments about a 2007 university paper by Michelle Margoles, 2007 about the Saint Louis, Senegal river goddess Mame Coumba Bang. That post also includes a Senegalese traditional dance video with a title that includes the name "Coumba".
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
BACKGROUND
To make a long story kinda short, I learned that Coca Cola's Super Bowl XLVIII ad featured people of different races and ethnicities singing "My Country Tis Of Thee" (a relatively well known United State's anthem) in various languages.* One of the languages featured in that ad is Senegalese-French. I then found out that Coca Cola also posted complementary videos that focused on each of the people singing in those other languages, including a video of the young woman taping the Senegalese-French portion of that ad. The inclusion of the Senegalese-French language in that Coca Cola video prompted me to find out how a traditional Senegalese language sounds.
Since I wasn't sure about which languages are traditionally spoken in Senegal, the first website that I visited was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal
where I red this information:
"Senegal...officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA… is a country in West Africa...
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca[citation needed]. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur. The Serer language is widely spoken by both Serers and non-Serers (including president Sall, whose mother and wife are Serers); so are the Cangin languages, whose speakers are ethnically Serers...
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula[37] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7%),[38] then others such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.)"
-snip-
Then I started a YouTube search and happened upon a video of Senegal's Ochestre Baobab's Coumba (given as Example #1 in Part I of this series). And since I'm interested in names & name meanings, I began to started a Google search for the meaning of the word "Coumba". If I had continued on YouTube, I would have found the video given as Example #2 in Part I of that post. That video (which is actually a sound file), includes a comment that indicates that "Coumba" is a rather common name in Senegal and Gambia. But prior to finding that video & reading that comment, I found the paper on the river goddess Mame Coumba Bang (that I subsequently featured in Part III of this series), information about a Senegalese king whose name was Kumba, and the videos that are featured in this post.
All together, I would say that I've had a great time learning something more about Senegalese culture, all because of that Coca Cola Super Bowl (American football) ad.
*Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs;
Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful - Official :60, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1qBIaEZp4 Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful in Senegalese-French; and http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/03/14/tagalog-featured-coca-colas-super-bowl-ad for a listing of the other languages spoken in that commercial, with special emphasis on the Tagalog language.
By the way, some conservatives in the United States are up in arms about that Coca Cola video, complaining that the national anthem shouldn't be sung in any language but English (Note: "My Country Tis Of Thee" isn't the United States' national anthem".) But I like that ad because of its content, and because it led me to this cultural research about Senegal, West Africa which I am now sharing with you.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli
lybabasn, Uploaded on Nov 7, 2008
Golle maaytataa - Hommage à Tidiane Hanne
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baaba_Maal
"Baaba Maal (born 12 November 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. He is well known in Africa and internationally is probably Senegal's most famous musician after Youssou N'Dour. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.
Baaba sings primarily in Pulaar[1] and is the foremost promoter of the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking peoples who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro."
-snip-
I've not been yet found any information about Ndeye Coumba Dia-Gill. However, that video shows him to be a talented male vocalist.
****
Example #2: Coumba Gawlo - Bine Bine
siteteranga, Uploaded on Apr 21, 2010
-snip-
This song is a cover of South African singer's Miriam Makeba's hit song "Pata pata".
Here's information about Coumba Gawlo Seck from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumba_Gawloa :
"Coumba Gawlo Seck is a Senegalese singer-songwriter and composer who was born in February 1972 in Tivaouane. She is the second best selling Senegalese singer in Senegal after Youssou N'Dour.[citation needed] Her greatest success was a version of Pata Pata, a platinum single which was number one for two weeks in Belgium and sold 50,000 copies one day in France in 1998."
-snip-
That Wikipedia page suggested that people could also visit http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumba_Gawlo_Seck for information about this singer that is written in French. Here's one quote from that much more lengthy page:
"Ses débuts
Elle est issue d'une famille dite Gawlo : griot en pulaar car Coumba hérite de sa mère Fatou Kiné Mbaye1 une voix particulière et remarquée dès l'âge de 7 ans."
-snip-
Because I don't understand French, I visited Google Translate to read the English version of that sentence. The translation that was given is:
"His debut
“She comes from a family called Gawlo: Pulaar griot because Zandi inherits his mother Fatou Kine Mbaye1 a particular voice and noticed at the age of 7 years.”
-snip-
I changed this to [somewhat] standard American English this way:
"Her debut
She comes from the Gawlo family, a family [which included a] Pulaar griot. At age seven people noticed that Zandi (Coumba] inherited her mother’s distinctive voice"...
-snip-
Note that in that Google Translate quote, the name "Zandi" is given for "Coumba".
A comment written by rochegador in the viewer comment thread of the "Orchestra Baobab - Coumba" which is given as Example #1 in Part I of this pancocojams series indicates that "Coumba" is a girl's name often found in the area around Senegal, Gambia".
In Google Translate's English translation of a comment written in French by dimnarion95st, another commenter in that same viewer comment thread, the name "Zandi" is also given as a substitute for "Coumba".
I don't know if this is a Google Translate error, or if "Zandi" is indeed another name for "Coumba". I also don't know what the name Zandi means in Senegal (I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean "Sandy" like some name sites (that Google Search led me to) attests.
Does anyone reading this know what the names Zandi, Coumba, and Kumba mean in Senegal and the Gambia? If so, I'd appreciate you sharing that information in the comment section below.
I also found this information in the Google summary of a page www.deezer.com/en/artist/84314 that isn't available in the United States:
Coumba Gawlo Seck is "Descended from a long line of griots (praise singers), Coumba Gawlo Seck has continued to pursue the tribal roots”
Click http://www.musiques-afrique.com/frames/art_gawl.html for more biographical information on Coumba Gawlo Seck.
****
ADDENDUM
My search for the meaning of "Coumba" led me to this Wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maad_a_Sinig_Kumba_Ndoffene_Fa_Ndeb_Joof
"Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof, also known as Kumba Ndoffene Joof II or Bour Sine Coumba Ndoffène Fandepp Diouf, was a King of Sine (now in present-day Senegal).[2] Maad a Sinig (also: Mad a Sinig or Maad Sine) translates as "King of Sine", Maad meaning king in the Serer language. The surname Joof is the English spelling in the Gambia. Diouf is the French spelling in Senegal (see : Joof family)."
-snip-
Note the spelling of the name "Kumba" is also given as "Coumba".
This example suggests to me that "Kumba" is the traditional Serer (or Wolof?) language form of "Coumba". And it also appears that the king's name and the name Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli refute the information given as a comment and quoted above that "Coumba" is a female name". Maybe the commenter meant that "Coumba" is mostly a female given name.
Google Search also gives examples of the name "Coumba" as a last name. But it's not uncommon in the USA to find certain personal names as last names. Also, it's not that uncommon in the United States for females to be given a personal name that is usually considered a male name (like the name "Michael") or for males to be given names that people would consider "unisex" if not "female names" - the name "Shannon comes to mind. Also, some names given in the United States that used to be considered masculine are now almost always considered to be feminine (like the name "Ashley"). I wonder if that is what happened with the Senegalese name "Coumba".
-snip-
It occurs to me that "Jaffe Joffer", the name of the king of the fictitious African nation in the Eddie Murphy movie Coming To America,* was probably based on the name of the historical Senegalese king Kumba Ndoffene Joof.
Wow! I wish that information had been publicized to African Americans and other folks along with information about that movie. African Americans and other Americans know so little about African history. That movie would have been a great way to refute the lies that we have been told or we thought to be true that there were no such things as Black Kings & Queens - except in Egypt, which some people said didn't count because even some Egyptians dispute that they are Africans.
All this to say that I'm very glad that I stumbled on to this information about that Senegalese king.
*Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coming_to_America for information about that 1988 hit American movie.
****
Thanks to the musical talents of the vocalists who are featured in this post.
Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks also to the producers of those Coca Cola commercials which started me on this particular cultural journey.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is Part II of a three part series on the name "Coumba" in Senegalese culture.
This post showcases a video of a song by the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli and a video of a song by the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck.
While I'm delighted to have found these videos, and showcase them on this blog post, I confess that part of my delight was that these videos added to the information that I began gathering about the name "Coumba". As part of that search, the Addendum of this post includes information from a Wikepedia article about the Senegalese King Kumba Ndoffene Joof II.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/senegals-orchestre-baobab-coumba-sound.html for Part I of this series.
Part I showcases a sound file of Orchestre Baobab's song entitled "Coumba". That song is also featured in a video of Dakar, Senegal's street life. Information about orchestra Baobab and comments from those video's viewer comments threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/mame-coumba-bang-senegalese-river.html for Part III.
Part III showcases an excerpt of and my comments about a 2007 university paper by Michelle Margoles, 2007 about the Saint Louis, Senegal river goddess Mame Coumba Bang. That post also includes a Senegalese traditional dance video with a title that includes the name "Coumba".
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
BACKGROUND
To make a long story kinda short, I learned that Coca Cola's Super Bowl XLVIII ad featured people of different races and ethnicities singing "My Country Tis Of Thee" (a relatively well known United State's anthem) in various languages.* One of the languages featured in that ad is Senegalese-French. I then found out that Coca Cola also posted complementary videos that focused on each of the people singing in those other languages, including a video of the young woman taping the Senegalese-French portion of that ad. The inclusion of the Senegalese-French language in that Coca Cola video prompted me to find out how a traditional Senegalese language sounds.
Since I wasn't sure about which languages are traditionally spoken in Senegal, the first website that I visited was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal
where I red this information:
"Senegal...officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA… is a country in West Africa...
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca[citation needed]. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur. The Serer language is widely spoken by both Serers and non-Serers (including president Sall, whose mother and wife are Serers); so are the Cangin languages, whose speakers are ethnically Serers...
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula[37] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7%),[38] then others such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.)"
-snip-
Then I started a YouTube search and happened upon a video of Senegal's Ochestre Baobab's Coumba (given as Example #1 in Part I of this series). And since I'm interested in names & name meanings, I began to started a Google search for the meaning of the word "Coumba". If I had continued on YouTube, I would have found the video given as Example #2 in Part I of that post. That video (which is actually a sound file), includes a comment that indicates that "Coumba" is a rather common name in Senegal and Gambia. But prior to finding that video & reading that comment, I found the paper on the river goddess Mame Coumba Bang (that I subsequently featured in Part III of this series), information about a Senegalese king whose name was Kumba, and the videos that are featured in this post.
All together, I would say that I've had a great time learning something more about Senegalese culture, all because of that Coca Cola Super Bowl (American football) ad.
*Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs;
Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful - Official :60, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1qBIaEZp4 Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful in Senegalese-French; and http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/03/14/tagalog-featured-coca-colas-super-bowl-ad for a listing of the other languages spoken in that commercial, with special emphasis on the Tagalog language.
By the way, some conservatives in the United States are up in arms about that Coca Cola video, complaining that the national anthem shouldn't be sung in any language but English (Note: "My Country Tis Of Thee" isn't the United States' national anthem".) But I like that ad because of its content, and because it led me to this cultural research about Senegal, West Africa which I am now sharing with you.
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli
lybabasn, Uploaded on Nov 7, 2008
Golle maaytataa - Hommage à Tidiane Hanne
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baaba_Maal
"Baaba Maal (born 12 November 1953) is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. He is well known in Africa and internationally is probably Senegal's most famous musician after Youssou N'Dour. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.
Baaba sings primarily in Pulaar[1] and is the foremost promoter of the traditions of the Pulaar-speaking peoples who live on either side of the Senegal River in the ancient Senegalese kingdom of Futa Tooro."
-snip-
I've not been yet found any information about Ndeye Coumba Dia-Gill. However, that video shows him to be a talented male vocalist.
****
Example #2: Coumba Gawlo - Bine Bine
siteteranga, Uploaded on Apr 21, 2010
-snip-
This song is a cover of South African singer's Miriam Makeba's hit song "Pata pata".
Here's information about Coumba Gawlo Seck from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumba_Gawloa :
"Coumba Gawlo Seck is a Senegalese singer-songwriter and composer who was born in February 1972 in Tivaouane. She is the second best selling Senegalese singer in Senegal after Youssou N'Dour.[citation needed] Her greatest success was a version of Pata Pata, a platinum single which was number one for two weeks in Belgium and sold 50,000 copies one day in France in 1998."
-snip-
That Wikipedia page suggested that people could also visit http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumba_Gawlo_Seck for information about this singer that is written in French. Here's one quote from that much more lengthy page:
"Ses débuts
Elle est issue d'une famille dite Gawlo : griot en pulaar car Coumba hérite de sa mère Fatou Kiné Mbaye1 une voix particulière et remarquée dès l'âge de 7 ans."
-snip-
Because I don't understand French, I visited Google Translate to read the English version of that sentence. The translation that was given is:
"His debut
“She comes from a family called Gawlo: Pulaar griot because Zandi inherits his mother Fatou Kine Mbaye1 a particular voice and noticed at the age of 7 years.”
-snip-
I changed this to [somewhat] standard American English this way:
"Her debut
She comes from the Gawlo family, a family [which included a] Pulaar griot. At age seven people noticed that Zandi (Coumba] inherited her mother’s distinctive voice"...
-snip-
Note that in that Google Translate quote, the name "Zandi" is given for "Coumba".
A comment written by rochegador in the viewer comment thread of the "Orchestra Baobab - Coumba" which is given as Example #1 in Part I of this pancocojams series indicates that "Coumba" is a girl's name often found in the area around Senegal, Gambia".
In Google Translate's English translation of a comment written in French by dimnarion95st, another commenter in that same viewer comment thread, the name "Zandi" is also given as a substitute for "Coumba".
I don't know if this is a Google Translate error, or if "Zandi" is indeed another name for "Coumba". I also don't know what the name Zandi means in Senegal (I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean "Sandy" like some name sites (that Google Search led me to) attests.
Does anyone reading this know what the names Zandi, Coumba, and Kumba mean in Senegal and the Gambia? If so, I'd appreciate you sharing that information in the comment section below.
I also found this information in the Google summary of a page www.deezer.com/en/artist/84314 that isn't available in the United States:
Coumba Gawlo Seck is "Descended from a long line of griots (praise singers), Coumba Gawlo Seck has continued to pursue the tribal roots”
Click http://www.musiques-afrique.com/frames/art_gawl.html for more biographical information on Coumba Gawlo Seck.
****
ADDENDUM
My search for the meaning of "Coumba" led me to this Wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maad_a_Sinig_Kumba_Ndoffene_Fa_Ndeb_Joof
"Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof, also known as Kumba Ndoffene Joof II or Bour Sine Coumba Ndoffène Fandepp Diouf, was a King of Sine (now in present-day Senegal).[2] Maad a Sinig (also: Mad a Sinig or Maad Sine) translates as "King of Sine", Maad meaning king in the Serer language. The surname Joof is the English spelling in the Gambia. Diouf is the French spelling in Senegal (see : Joof family)."
-snip-
Note the spelling of the name "Kumba" is also given as "Coumba".
This example suggests to me that "Kumba" is the traditional Serer (or Wolof?) language form of "Coumba". And it also appears that the king's name and the name Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli refute the information given as a comment and quoted above that "Coumba" is a female name". Maybe the commenter meant that "Coumba" is mostly a female given name.
Google Search also gives examples of the name "Coumba" as a last name. But it's not uncommon in the USA to find certain personal names as last names. Also, it's not that uncommon in the United States for females to be given a personal name that is usually considered a male name (like the name "Michael") or for males to be given names that people would consider "unisex" if not "female names" - the name "Shannon comes to mind. Also, some names given in the United States that used to be considered masculine are now almost always considered to be feminine (like the name "Ashley"). I wonder if that is what happened with the Senegalese name "Coumba".
-snip-
It occurs to me that "Jaffe Joffer", the name of the king of the fictitious African nation in the Eddie Murphy movie Coming To America,* was probably based on the name of the historical Senegalese king Kumba Ndoffene Joof.
Wow! I wish that information had been publicized to African Americans and other folks along with information about that movie. African Americans and other Americans know so little about African history. That movie would have been a great way to refute the lies that we have been told or we thought to be true that there were no such things as Black Kings & Queens - except in Egypt, which some people said didn't count because even some Egyptians dispute that they are Africans.
All this to say that I'm very glad that I stumbled on to this information about that Senegalese king.
*Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coming_to_America for information about that 1988 hit American movie.
****
Thanks to the musical talents of the vocalists who are featured in this post.
Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks also to the producers of those Coca Cola commercials which started me on this particular cultural journey.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Senegal's Orchestre Baobab - "Coumba" (sound file, video, comments)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post is Part I of a three part series on the name "Coumba" in Senegalese culture. This post showcases a sound file of Orchestre Baobab's song entitled "Coumba". That song is also featured in a video of Dakar, Senegal's street life.
Information about orchestra Baobab and comments from those video's viewer comments threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/videos-of-baaba-maal-ndeye-coumba-dia.html for Part II of this series.
Part II showcases a video of a song by the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli and a video of a song by the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck. That post also provides additional information about the name "Coumba", including information about the Senegalese King
Kumba Ndoffene Joof II.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/mame-coumba-bang-senegalese-river.html for Part III.
That post showcases an excerpt of and my comments about a 2007 university paper by Michelle Margoles, 2007 about the Saint Louis, Senegal river goddess Mame Coumba Bang. That post also includes a Senegalese traditional dance video with a title that includes the name "Coumba".
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
BACKGROUND
To make a long story kinda short, I learned that Coca Cola's Super Bowl XLVIII ad featured people of different races and ethnicities singing "America The Beautiful"* in various languages.** One of the languages featured in that ad is Senegalese-French. I then found out that Coca Cola also posted complementary videos that focused on each of the people singing in those other languages, including a video of the young woman taping the Senegalese-French portion of that ad. The inclusion of the Senegalese-French language in that Coca Cola video prompted me to find out how a traditional Senegalese language sounds.
*This is a correction of the wrong title that I gave this song in my original post.
Because I wasn't sure which languages are traditionally spoken in Senegal, the first website that I visited was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal
where I red this information:
"Senegal...officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA… is a country in West Africa...
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca[citation needed]. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur. The Serer language is widely spoken by both Serers and non-Serers (including president Sall, whose mother and wife are Serers); so are the Cangin languages, whose speakers are ethnically Serers...
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula[37] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7%),[38] then others such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.)"
-snip-
Then I started a YouTube search and happened upon a video of Senegal's Ochestre Baobab's Coumba (given as Example #1 below). And since I'm interested in names & name meanings, I began to started a Google search for the meaning of the word "Coumba". If I had continued on YouTube, I would have found the video given as Example #2 below. That video (which is actually a sound file), includes a comment that indicates that "Coumba" is a rather common name in Senegal and Gambia. But prior to finding that video & reading that comment, I found the paper on the river goddess Mame Coumba Bang (that I subsequently featured in Part III of this series), information about a Senegalese king whose name was Kumba, and the videos that are featured in this post.
All together, I would say that I've had a great time learning something more about Senegalese culture, all because of that Coca Cola Super Bowl (American football) ad.
**Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs;
Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful - Official :60, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1qBIaEZp4 Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful in Senegalese-French; and http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/03/14/tagalog-featured-coca-colas-super-bowl-ad for a listing of the other languages spoken in that commercial, with special emphasis on the Tagalog language.
By the way, some conservatives in the United States are up in arms about that Coca Cola video, complaining that the national anthem shouldn't be sung in any language but English (Note: "America The Beautiful" isn't the United States' official national anthem.) But I like that ad because of its content, and because it led me to this cultural research about Senegal, West Africa which I am now sharing with you.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ORCHESTRA BAOBAB
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra_Baobab
"Orchestra Baobab is a Senegalese Afro-Cuban, Son, Wolof and Pachanga band. Organized in 1970, as a multi-ethnic, multi-national club band, Orchestre Baobab adapted the then current craze for Cuban Music (growing out of the Congolese Soukous style) in West Africa to Wolof Griot culture and the Mandinga musical traditions of the Casamance. One of the dominant African bands of the 1970s, they were overshadowed in the 1980s and broke up, only to reform in 2001 after interest in their recordings grew in Europe."
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: Senegal - Orchestre Baobab - Coumba Dakar Streetlife
Seka Moke, Uploaded on Dec 7, 2008
AFRICA FROM A-Z: SENEGAL
-snip-
If the title of that video had been written as Orchestre Baobab - "Coumba" (Dakar Streetlife),
I would have been saved a lot of fruitless speculation about a community called Coumba in Dakar, Senegal. But, I learned something from that search. So it's all good (or mostly good anyway).
****
Example #2: Orchestra Baobab - Coumba
gd73, Uploaded on Jan 26, 2009
Orchestra Baobab - Coumba
from the album Pirate's Choice
originally recorded in 1982
re-released by World Circuit Records 2001
The song was written by Radolphe Gomis
[The musicians are listed in this summary]
-snip-
Selected comments from this sound file's comment thread:
gahgeer, 2009
"What does coumba mean? sounds like the onl Wolof word in this beautiful song :-)"
**
xMARTHEinWonderland, 2010
in reply to gahgeer
"@gahgeer The rest is french (i think, i'm still listening now), It's a story about a girl.. called Coumba.."
-snip-
rochegador, 2010
"Just beautiful! This African music transcending superciality and the usual clichés about what is African music. By the way, "Coumba" is a girl's name often found in the area around Senegal, Gambia"
**
dimnarion95st, 2011
"and there is also this part:"Coumba, Coumba qui a changé les couleurs Coumba, Coumba, la mer n'est plus bleu pour toi Coumba, Coumba qui a changé les couleurs Coumba, Coumba, la mer n'est plus bleu pour toi" :)"
-snip-
Google Translate from French to English
"and there is also this hand: "Kumba, Kumba Kumba that changed colors, Zandi, the sea is bluer for you Kumba, Kumba Kumba that changed colors, Zandi, the sea is not blue for you ":)"
-snip-
Obviously Google Translate got “hand” wrong. But its interesting to me that Google Translate gave the name "Zandi" for "Coumba/Kumba". Google Translate also gave the name "Zandi" for "Coumba" in information about the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck. That information is included in Part II of this series.
Does anyone reading this know what the names Zandi, Coumba, and Kumba mean in Senegal and the Gambia? If so, I'd appreciate you sharing that information in the comment section below.
**
babybluebenz, 2012
"[i]s about love and love lost and the constant cycle of chasing and being chased ..and saying sorry but when i am about to die its gonna be you i think of and those memories will make me smile"
-snip-
If Coumba is the a female's name [only], what can be made of that name being given to the male singer Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli? And what about the historical King of Sine (which is now part of Senegal) Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof, also known as Kumba Ndoffene Joof II or Bour Sine Coumba Ndoffène Fandepp Diouf? More information about those two personages is included in Part II of this series.
****
Thanks to the musical legacy of Orchestre Baobab. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks also to the producers of those Coca Cola commercials which started me on this particular cultural journey.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post is Part I of a three part series on the name "Coumba" in Senegalese culture. This post showcases a sound file of Orchestre Baobab's song entitled "Coumba". That song is also featured in a video of Dakar, Senegal's street life.
Information about orchestra Baobab and comments from those video's viewer comments threads are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/videos-of-baaba-maal-ndeye-coumba-dia.html for Part II of this series.
Part II showcases a video of a song by the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal & Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli and a video of a song by the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck. That post also provides additional information about the name "Coumba", including information about the Senegalese King
Kumba Ndoffene Joof II.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/mame-coumba-bang-senegalese-river.html for Part III.
That post showcases an excerpt of and my comments about a 2007 university paper by Michelle Margoles, 2007 about the Saint Louis, Senegal river goddess Mame Coumba Bang. That post also includes a Senegalese traditional dance video with a title that includes the name "Coumba".
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
****
BACKGROUND
To make a long story kinda short, I learned that Coca Cola's Super Bowl XLVIII ad featured people of different races and ethnicities singing "America The Beautiful"* in various languages.** One of the languages featured in that ad is Senegalese-French. I then found out that Coca Cola also posted complementary videos that focused on each of the people singing in those other languages, including a video of the young woman taping the Senegalese-French portion of that ad. The inclusion of the Senegalese-French language in that Coca Cola video prompted me to find out how a traditional Senegalese language sounds.
*This is a correction of the wrong title that I gave this song in my original post.
Because I wasn't sure which languages are traditionally spoken in Senegal, the first website that I visited was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal
where I red this information:
"Senegal...officially the Republic of Senegal (République du Sénégal, IPA… is a country in West Africa...
French is the official language, used regularly by a minority of Senegalese educated in a system styled upon the colonial-era schools of French origin (Koranic schools are even more popular, but Arabic is not widely spoken outside of this context of recitation). Most people also speak their own ethnic language while, especially in Dakar, Wolof is the lingua franca[citation needed]. Pulaar is spoken by the Fulas and Toucouleur. The Serer language is widely spoken by both Serers and non-Serers (including president Sall, whose mother and wife are Serers); so are the Cangin languages, whose speakers are ethnically Serers...
Senegal has a wide variety of ethnic groups and, as in most West African countries, several languages are widely spoken. The Wolof are the largest single ethnic group in Senegal at 43 percent; the Fula[37] and Toucouleur (also known as Halpulaar'en, literally "Pulaar-speakers") (24%) are the second biggest group, followed by the Serer (14.7%),[38] then others such as Jola (4%), Mandinka (3%), Maures or (Naarkajors), Soninke, Bassari and many smaller communities (9%). (See also the Bedick ethnic group.)"
-snip-
Then I started a YouTube search and happened upon a video of Senegal's Ochestre Baobab's Coumba (given as Example #1 below). And since I'm interested in names & name meanings, I began to started a Google search for the meaning of the word "Coumba". If I had continued on YouTube, I would have found the video given as Example #2 below. That video (which is actually a sound file), includes a comment that indicates that "Coumba" is a rather common name in Senegal and Gambia. But prior to finding that video & reading that comment, I found the paper on the river goddess Mame Coumba Bang (that I subsequently featured in Part III of this series), information about a Senegalese king whose name was Kumba, and the videos that are featured in this post.
All together, I would say that I've had a great time learning something more about Senegalese culture, all because of that Coca Cola Super Bowl (American football) ad.
**Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs;
Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful - Official :60, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1qBIaEZp4 Coca-Cola - It's Beautiful in Senegalese-French; and http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/03/14/tagalog-featured-coca-colas-super-bowl-ad for a listing of the other languages spoken in that commercial, with special emphasis on the Tagalog language.
By the way, some conservatives in the United States are up in arms about that Coca Cola video, complaining that the national anthem shouldn't be sung in any language but English (Note: "America The Beautiful" isn't the United States' official national anthem.) But I like that ad because of its content, and because it led me to this cultural research about Senegal, West Africa which I am now sharing with you.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT ORCHESTRA BAOBAB
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra_Baobab
"Orchestra Baobab is a Senegalese Afro-Cuban, Son, Wolof and Pachanga band. Organized in 1970, as a multi-ethnic, multi-national club band, Orchestre Baobab adapted the then current craze for Cuban Music (growing out of the Congolese Soukous style) in West Africa to Wolof Griot culture and the Mandinga musical traditions of the Casamance. One of the dominant African bands of the 1970s, they were overshadowed in the 1980s and broke up, only to reform in 2001 after interest in their recordings grew in Europe."
****
FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: Senegal - Orchestre Baobab - Coumba Dakar Streetlife
Seka Moke, Uploaded on Dec 7, 2008
AFRICA FROM A-Z: SENEGAL
-snip-
If the title of that video had been written as Orchestre Baobab - "Coumba" (Dakar Streetlife),
I would have been saved a lot of fruitless speculation about a community called Coumba in Dakar, Senegal. But, I learned something from that search. So it's all good (or mostly good anyway).
****
Example #2: Orchestra Baobab - Coumba
gd73, Uploaded on Jan 26, 2009
Orchestra Baobab - Coumba
from the album Pirate's Choice
originally recorded in 1982
re-released by World Circuit Records 2001
The song was written by Radolphe Gomis
[The musicians are listed in this summary]
-snip-
Selected comments from this sound file's comment thread:
gahgeer, 2009
"What does coumba mean? sounds like the onl Wolof word in this beautiful song :-)"
**
xMARTHEinWonderland, 2010
in reply to gahgeer
"@gahgeer The rest is french (i think, i'm still listening now), It's a story about a girl.. called Coumba.."
-snip-
rochegador, 2010
"Just beautiful! This African music transcending superciality and the usual clichés about what is African music. By the way, "Coumba" is a girl's name often found in the area around Senegal, Gambia"
**
dimnarion95st, 2011
"and there is also this part:"Coumba, Coumba qui a changé les couleurs Coumba, Coumba, la mer n'est plus bleu pour toi Coumba, Coumba qui a changé les couleurs Coumba, Coumba, la mer n'est plus bleu pour toi" :)"
-snip-
Google Translate from French to English
"and there is also this hand: "Kumba, Kumba Kumba that changed colors, Zandi, the sea is bluer for you Kumba, Kumba Kumba that changed colors, Zandi, the sea is not blue for you ":)"
-snip-
Obviously Google Translate got “hand” wrong. But its interesting to me that Google Translate gave the name "Zandi" for "Coumba/Kumba". Google Translate also gave the name "Zandi" for "Coumba" in information about the Senegalese singer Coumba Gawlo Seck. That information is included in Part II of this series.
Does anyone reading this know what the names Zandi, Coumba, and Kumba mean in Senegal and the Gambia? If so, I'd appreciate you sharing that information in the comment section below.
**
babybluebenz, 2012
"[i]s about love and love lost and the constant cycle of chasing and being chased ..and saying sorry but when i am about to die its gonna be you i think of and those memories will make me smile"
-snip-
If Coumba is the a female's name [only], what can be made of that name being given to the male singer Ndeye Coumba Dia – Gilli? And what about the historical King of Sine (which is now part of Senegal) Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof, also known as Kumba Ndoffene Joof II or Bour Sine Coumba Ndoffène Fandepp Diouf? More information about those two personages is included in Part II of this series.
****
Thanks to the musical legacy of Orchestre Baobab. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks also to the producers of those Coca Cola commercials which started me on this particular cultural journey.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
African Dancing - Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Group (Senegal)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases four videos of Senegal, West Africa's Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Group. Information about tama drums and links to information about Sabar dancing are also provided in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT ASSANE THIAM
From http://www.allmusic.com/artist/assane-thaim-mn0000528360
"A member of Youssou N'Dour's band since the mid-'70s, Assane Thiam is one of the foremost masters of the tama (talking drum). According to http://www.geocities.com/jbenhill/tama.html, Assane's "reputation as a virtuoso tama player is similar to the reputation of a western guitarist like Jimi Hendrix." Thiam played an important role in the early development of Senegal's pop-like mbalax music, forming Etoile De Dakar, with percussionist Babacar Faye, in 1975. With the arrival of N'Dour two years later, the group was re-christened Super Etoile De Dakar. In addition to his work with N'Dour, Thiam lent his melodic tama playing to albums by Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and Harry Belafone. On his own, he's continued to explore traditional Wolof chanting. Together with his brother, Yamar Thiam, a popular session player in Finland, Thiam formed an 18 piece ensemble of tama players and dancers."
-snip-
INFORMATION ABOUT TAMA DRUMS
From http://www.umbc.edu/eol/5/mangin/
"Popularly known as the talking drum because of its ability to mimic and articulate speech, the tama drum can be found throughout West Africa in different contexts, manifestations and names such as dundun in Nigeria (Euba 1990). The talking drum plays a crucial role in ceremonies and festivities such as weddings, life-cycle events, child-naming ceremonies, and wrestling matches. The instrument and its cultural relevance carry over into popular music genres as a marker of identity and vibrant connection between traditional practices and modernity. For example, the tama can be found in the popular music of Senegal such as mbalax (a blend of traditional Senegalese sabar drumming, Afro-Cuban music, African pop, and western pop). Likewise, the dundun in the jùjú music is prominent in Nigerian night life, ariya weddings, birthdays and funerals (Waterman 1990). Internationally, the tama can be heard in groups led by Senegalese Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour or in various world beat ensembles."
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: assane thiam-mame
joemame1, Uploaded on Dec 29, 2008
tama, mbalakh, sabar
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from a thesis written by Sophie Schouwenaar(now Sophie Ndoye) which provides information about the role of men in Sabar dancing:
"...For the Senegalese, shifted gender relations are more easily accepted. Men who dance are now tolerated, people seem to ignore the non-masculine nature of their dancing and the fact that traditionally, sabar dancing is considered women’s affairs...
Nonetheless, sabar events are still relatively intimate women’s domains, even though they take place outside the private bonds of the household and men penetrate in these domains. The female spectators function as a wall around the dance floor where women behave in sexual explicit and provocative ways, against curious eyes from the outside world. Because of the increased interest in sabar events and the fact that most sabar events are organized by and for women, these sabar events will probably not disappear, but only expand from its origin. Therefore, sabar has become more pluriform."
http://www.sophie-sabar.nl/diversen/senegal%20pdf/Information%20brochure%20English%202013.pdf
****
Example #2: assane thiam-tama
joemame1, Uploaded on Jun 8, 2010
sabar, mbalakh
****
Example #3: Assane Thiam Sabar Dance
Amy Secada, Uploaded on Nov 8, 2011
Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Groupe captured in the streets of Dakar, Senegal 2011
****
Example #4: Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Groupe
Amy Secada, Uploaded on Nov 8, 2011
Senegals most famous sabar group Assane Thiam captured dancing on the beachs of Dakar, Senegal 2011
****
RELATED LINKS
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/senegalese-music-dance-videos.html Senegalese Music & Dance Videos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbalax
http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_Jensen_0103.html
Sabar Accompaniment to the Wrestling Matches and Lion Dances of Senegal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to and the other performers in these featured videos. My thanks also to those authors whose information I quote and to the uploaders of these featured sound file and videos.
Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome
This post showcases four videos of Senegal, West Africa's Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Group. Information about tama drums and links to information about Sabar dancing are also provided in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT ASSANE THIAM
From http://www.allmusic.com/artist/assane-thaim-mn0000528360
"A member of Youssou N'Dour's band since the mid-'70s, Assane Thiam is one of the foremost masters of the tama (talking drum). According to http://www.geocities.com/jbenhill/tama.html, Assane's "reputation as a virtuoso tama player is similar to the reputation of a western guitarist like Jimi Hendrix." Thiam played an important role in the early development of Senegal's pop-like mbalax music, forming Etoile De Dakar, with percussionist Babacar Faye, in 1975. With the arrival of N'Dour two years later, the group was re-christened Super Etoile De Dakar. In addition to his work with N'Dour, Thiam lent his melodic tama playing to albums by Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and Harry Belafone. On his own, he's continued to explore traditional Wolof chanting. Together with his brother, Yamar Thiam, a popular session player in Finland, Thiam formed an 18 piece ensemble of tama players and dancers."
-snip-
INFORMATION ABOUT TAMA DRUMS
From http://www.umbc.edu/eol/5/mangin/
"Popularly known as the talking drum because of its ability to mimic and articulate speech, the tama drum can be found throughout West Africa in different contexts, manifestations and names such as dundun in Nigeria (Euba 1990). The talking drum plays a crucial role in ceremonies and festivities such as weddings, life-cycle events, child-naming ceremonies, and wrestling matches. The instrument and its cultural relevance carry over into popular music genres as a marker of identity and vibrant connection between traditional practices and modernity. For example, the tama can be found in the popular music of Senegal such as mbalax (a blend of traditional Senegalese sabar drumming, Afro-Cuban music, African pop, and western pop). Likewise, the dundun in the jùjú music is prominent in Nigerian night life, ariya weddings, birthdays and funerals (Waterman 1990). Internationally, the tama can be heard in groups led by Senegalese Baaba Maal and Youssou N'Dour or in various world beat ensembles."
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: assane thiam-mame
joemame1, Uploaded on Dec 29, 2008
tama, mbalakh, sabar
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from a thesis written by Sophie Schouwenaar(now Sophie Ndoye) which provides information about the role of men in Sabar dancing:
"...For the Senegalese, shifted gender relations are more easily accepted. Men who dance are now tolerated, people seem to ignore the non-masculine nature of their dancing and the fact that traditionally, sabar dancing is considered women’s affairs...
Nonetheless, sabar events are still relatively intimate women’s domains, even though they take place outside the private bonds of the household and men penetrate in these domains. The female spectators function as a wall around the dance floor where women behave in sexual explicit and provocative ways, against curious eyes from the outside world. Because of the increased interest in sabar events and the fact that most sabar events are organized by and for women, these sabar events will probably not disappear, but only expand from its origin. Therefore, sabar has become more pluriform."
http://www.sophie-sabar.nl/diversen/senegal%20pdf/Information%20brochure%20English%202013.pdf
****
Example #2: assane thiam-tama
joemame1, Uploaded on Jun 8, 2010
sabar, mbalakh
****
Example #3: Assane Thiam Sabar Dance
Amy Secada, Uploaded on Nov 8, 2011
Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Groupe captured in the streets of Dakar, Senegal 2011
****
Example #4: Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Groupe
Amy Secada, Uploaded on Nov 8, 2011
Senegals most famous sabar group Assane Thiam captured dancing on the beachs of Dakar, Senegal 2011
****
RELATED LINKS
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/senegalese-music-dance-videos.html Senegalese Music & Dance Videos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbalax
http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_Jensen_0103.html
Sabar Accompaniment to the Wrestling Matches and Lion Dances of Senegal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to and the other performers in these featured videos. My thanks also to those authors whose information I quote and to the uploaders of these featured sound file and videos.
Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Senegalese Music & Dance Videos
Edited by Azizi Powell
Update - 5/30/2012
Dandan DIEDHIOU et le Baa Duwaa de Sédhiou Saaroo2
Uploaded by dandandiedhiou on Sep 4, 2009
****
This post showcases selected videos of music & dances from Senegal, West Africa.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal:
"Senegal is known across Africa for its musical heritage, due to the popularity of mbalax, which originated from the Serer percussive tradition, it has been popularized by Youssou N'Dour and others. Sabar drumming is especially popular. The sabar is mostly used in special celebrations like weddings. Another instrument, the tama, is used in more ethnic groups. Other popular international renown Senegalese musicians are Ismael Lô, Orchestra Baobab, Baaba Maal, Akon Thione Seck, Viviane, Titi, and Pape Diouf.
Senegal is well known for the West African tradition of storytelling, which is done by griots, who have kept West African history alive for thousands of years through words and music. The griot profession is passed down generation to generation and requires years of training and apprenticeship in genealogy, history and music. Griots give voice to generations of West African society."
-snip-
Click the above link for more information about Senegal, West Africa.
Thanks to all performers featured in these videos. Thanks also to all the uploaders of these videos.
Enjoy!
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: This video is posted at the top of this page.
Editor:
From some of the comments in this video's viewer comment thread I gather that the music & dance featured in this video are from the Casamance area in the Southern part of Senegal.
Here are three other comments from that viewer comment thread that refer to the music/dance:
"MANDINKA FLAVOUR, WOLOF FLAVOUR AND JOLA FLAVOUR COMBINED IN THIS MUSIC......GREAT MUSIC"
-ridim2007, 2011
****
"Ndaga & Mbalax & Manding Fusion at it's best. I want to see this band LIVE!"
-RaytubeX; 2011
**
In response to my question "What is the name of the masked dancer:
"You are probably talking the Kankourang. I cannot do it justice to start explaining his role in this society. During the summer vacations, kids gets circumcised unlike in the US where it is done at birth. Over there, it is a very important stage in the life of a boy since it marks his passing to adulthood. They are isolated from parents and gathered in groups where they receive instruction about their future responsibilities and life in general. The Kankourang is there to keep them feeling safe."
-MultiOulil; 5/30/2012
****
Video #2: ucas04.avi
Uploaded by TheSegastube on May 25, 2010
****
Video #3: Youssou Ndour: lang
Uploaded by lulu814 on May 4, 2008
-snip-
Here's a comment in French that I believe explains the meaning of the word "lang".
"'Il chante l'amour en gros. Le refrein dit : "Chacun avec sa chacune, dans la joie comme dans la douleur, telle est la réalité de l'amour"
Mbeguël = amour
Lang = fleurter (dans le sens, passer du temps agréablement)
:-) "
-95Madmad; 2010
-snip-
I don't speak French but I'm guessing from reading this that "lang" means something like "flirtatious or sensual movements".
****
Video #4: baba maal olel
Uploaded by kkanealvine on Jun 27, 2009
****
Video #5: Sabar dancing in Senegal
Uploaded by sophieschouwenaar on Jan 16, 2007
This short documentary was made for my master research in Dakar, Senegal. I was there during 4 months doing my research on sabardancing. This documentary serves a an introduction to my master's thesis.
-snip-
Here's a viewer comment about this video:
"
"I am senegalese and I think that this video is very great and very accurate. I love the dancing. I am a muslim but this does not contradict with my beleifs at all. it is beautiful and playful and a celebration of life.the music of senegal is very high energy and it reflects the spirit of the land and the people. senegal is about teranga "hospitality".everybody is welcome.everyboby. as long as you humble we good.the sabar is a space where certain things are allowed for woman.notalibanbusiness"
-koccone; 2011
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/01/assane-thiam-contemporary-sabar-dance.html Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Group (Senegal)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
Update - 5/30/2012
Dandan DIEDHIOU et le Baa Duwaa de Sédhiou Saaroo2
Uploaded by dandandiedhiou on Sep 4, 2009
****
This post showcases selected videos of music & dances from Senegal, West Africa.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal:
"Senegal is known across Africa for its musical heritage, due to the popularity of mbalax, which originated from the Serer percussive tradition, it has been popularized by Youssou N'Dour and others. Sabar drumming is especially popular. The sabar is mostly used in special celebrations like weddings. Another instrument, the tama, is used in more ethnic groups. Other popular international renown Senegalese musicians are Ismael Lô, Orchestra Baobab, Baaba Maal, Akon Thione Seck, Viviane, Titi, and Pape Diouf.
Senegal is well known for the West African tradition of storytelling, which is done by griots, who have kept West African history alive for thousands of years through words and music. The griot profession is passed down generation to generation and requires years of training and apprenticeship in genealogy, history and music. Griots give voice to generations of West African society."
-snip-
Click the above link for more information about Senegal, West Africa.
Thanks to all performers featured in these videos. Thanks also to all the uploaders of these videos.
Enjoy!
****
FEATURED VIDEOS
Video #1: This video is posted at the top of this page.
Editor:
From some of the comments in this video's viewer comment thread I gather that the music & dance featured in this video are from the Casamance area in the Southern part of Senegal.
Here are three other comments from that viewer comment thread that refer to the music/dance:
"MANDINKA FLAVOUR, WOLOF FLAVOUR AND JOLA FLAVOUR COMBINED IN THIS MUSIC......GREAT MUSIC"
-ridim2007, 2011
****
"Ndaga & Mbalax & Manding Fusion at it's best. I want to see this band LIVE!"
-RaytubeX; 2011
**
In response to my question "What is the name of the masked dancer:
"You are probably talking the Kankourang. I cannot do it justice to start explaining his role in this society. During the summer vacations, kids gets circumcised unlike in the US where it is done at birth. Over there, it is a very important stage in the life of a boy since it marks his passing to adulthood. They are isolated from parents and gathered in groups where they receive instruction about their future responsibilities and life in general. The Kankourang is there to keep them feeling safe."
-MultiOulil; 5/30/2012
****
Video #2: ucas04.avi
Uploaded by TheSegastube on May 25, 2010
****
Video #3: Youssou Ndour: lang
Uploaded by lulu814 on May 4, 2008
-snip-
Here's a comment in French that I believe explains the meaning of the word "lang".
"'Il chante l'amour en gros. Le refrein dit : "Chacun avec sa chacune, dans la joie comme dans la douleur, telle est la réalité de l'amour"
Mbeguël = amour
Lang = fleurter (dans le sens, passer du temps agréablement)
:-) "
-95Madmad; 2010
-snip-
I don't speak French but I'm guessing from reading this that "lang" means something like "flirtatious or sensual movements".
****
Video #4: baba maal olel
Uploaded by kkanealvine on Jun 27, 2009
****
Video #5: Sabar dancing in Senegal
Uploaded by sophieschouwenaar on Jan 16, 2007
This short documentary was made for my master research in Dakar, Senegal. I was there during 4 months doing my research on sabardancing. This documentary serves a an introduction to my master's thesis.
-snip-
Here's a viewer comment about this video:
"
"I am senegalese and I think that this video is very great and very accurate. I love the dancing. I am a muslim but this does not contradict with my beleifs at all. it is beautiful and playful and a celebration of life.the music of senegal is very high energy and it reflects the spirit of the land and the people. senegal is about teranga "hospitality".everybody is welcome.everyboby. as long as you humble we good.the sabar is a space where certain things are allowed for woman.notalibanbusiness"
-koccone; 2011
****
RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/01/assane-thiam-contemporary-sabar-dance.html Assane Thiam Contemporary Sabar Dance Group (Senegal)
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome.
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