Sona Jobarteh - "Gambia" (Official Video) with English translations of this song's Mandinka lyrics

The African Guild, Nov 19, 2015

Sona Jobarteh's debut music video "Gambia" in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence for the Gambia in 2015.

This video features the traditional Mandinka Drum called the 'Seruba', an instrument no longer featured much in Gambian mainstream society. By featuring the drum in this song, Sona aims not only to resonate with the deep history of the Mandinka people, but also to boost and promote awareness of this instrument both in the Gambia and internationally.

[…]

FEATURING:

The Fab Team, Gambia (Dancers)

Musafilly Jobarteh (Percussion)

Mamadou Sarr (Percussion)

Sekouba Bambino

Students of the ABJ Music School, Gambia

Lamin Suso
-snip-
Statistics (as of Feb 17, 2021 at 7:28 PM ET
Total # of views - 16,362,235 
Total # of likes - 141K
Total # of dislikes - 3.3K 
Total # of comments- 7,252

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the official YouTube video of Sona Jobarteh's 2014 song "Gambia". . 

English translations of the Mandinka lyrics to this song are included in this post along with a conversation among several commenters about one of those translations. 

I didn't include any other comments. However, I want to note that more nations from every continent and region of the world are represented in this discussion thread than in other discussion threads of African music that I have read to date. 

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Sona Jobarteh and thanks to all others who are associated with this video and thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post. 

****
ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE MANDINKA LYRICS FOR SONA JOBARTEH'S SONG "THE GAMBIA" 

from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtmmlOQnTXM&ab_channel=TheAfricanGuild

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only

1. Albert Johnson, 2016

"As I go through the comments, I seem to understand that many do not

understand or would like to know what Sona Jobarteh is saying.  I'd

therefore like to do my best to translate my scant understanding of

MANDINKA (the language of MANDINGOS) for especially the international

audience.  Literally here it goes...

 

0:49 Peace knows stability and progress welcomes it

0:58 Hospitality, happiness feel the faces of the country, the Gambia is a good country

1:14 Where ever you are never let yourself forget your homeland/fatherland Gambia

1:24 Truth is, if you forget your homeland means you forgot yourself/roots

1:37 We are proud (chorus), I am proud of my country... we are proud (chorus)

1:46 Let's come together and be united for that's the way forward and benefit for all

1:54 (Chorus) Where are the people of the world? This is a beautiful country, where are the people of the world? This peaceful country 

2:02 (Chorus) Where are the people of the Gambia? This is my country.  Where are the people of the Gambia? This is hard to find!

2:20 It is blessed that is why people respect her. It's honored that is why people should not forget this beautiful country

2:50 Citizens of the country let's come join (hands) together.

3:00 Honestly I do not regret being a citizen of this country at all

3:08 When I travel the world, I'll sell/tell the beauty of this country.  There is no place like the Gambia

3:17 (Chorus) Where are the people of the Gambia? This is a beautiful country. Where are the people of Gambia? This peaceful country

3:30 This is our country, where are the people of Gambia? This is hard to find! (Repeats this few times)

4:02 It is Gambia! It is Gambia I am talking/singing about! (Repeats this few times with chorus)

4:38 (With Chorus) Peace is home; hospitality is home; stability is home; Family is home; blessing is home; honor is home... even God Gambia... (Repeats not necessarily in these order) Finishes thus: "Family values oh Gambia!!"    

 

Please forgive me Sona or anyone for that matter, if I miss-translate! That's not my intention at all! Love!!

****
Reply
2. Adama Koita, 2016
"Albert Johnson Thanks for the translation Albert for the benefit of those who don't speak Mandinka. Sona has made me proud as a mandinka and a Gambian"

**
Reply
3. Albert Johnson, 2016
"Adama I tried!...I wanted the fans to get even a better feel for not just the rhythm/melody but the soul of it!!  Sona is a gem/rising elites of African music. Gambia proud!!"

**
Reply
4. Adama Koita,  2016
"Albert Johnson yes sure Albert you feel the music more when you know what it says. sona is a star so proud of her......have you ever visited Gambia??? if you've never visited the Gambia please try and visit some day."

**
Reply
5. Albert Johnson, 2017
"Last time I was in Gambia was 1998!! By the way Happy 52nd Independent anniversary!!"

**
Reply
6. Baba Saho, 2017
"I am Mandinka but i think you did a better job that i will do"

**
Reply
7. Albert Johnson, 2017
"Thank you Baba!"

**
8. cheezhead Z, 2018

"Simply beautiful. Here is an English translation I found:

The Gambia

Built in peace and stability,

hosted by development and progress,

Humanity

and happiness is on all faces,

our outstanding country Gambia.

 

Wherever you are

, never forget

your homeland Gambia

For if you forget your roots,

you turn your back on who you are.

 

(Refrain):

We are proud…

We are proud of our country

 

(Refrain):

We are proud…

Let us come together and unite

(Refrain):

We are proud…

This is what will result in progress

 

People of the Gambia; this is the beautiful land

People of the Gambia; this is the peaceful land

People of the Gambia; this is the land of our people

People of the Gambia; there is nothing that compares to this land

People honour this country because it is blessed

 

We should not abandon our beautiful country

Sons/daughters of this land, let us come to together

I will truly always be proud to be a Gambian

Wherever I travel, I shall tell of the wonders of this country

There is nowhere that compares to Gambia

 

Outro:

The home of Peace… everyone say “Gambia”

The home of Blessings… everyone say “Gambia”

The home of Humility… everyone say “Gambia”

The home of Family… everyone say “Gambia”

****
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Lists Of Mandinka (West African Language) Given Names Ending In "Ou"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision December 15, 2017

This pancocojams post presents lists of Mandinka given names ending in "ou". These names are compiled from seven websites of names from Gambia, West Africa. However, many if not all of these names are also probably found among Mandinka people in other West African nations.

A few Mandinka names that include "ou" or begin with "ou" are also found in this compilation. However, the inclusion of those examples, doesn't mean that every West African given name, surname, or other words that contain the "ou" 'cluster' or begins with the "ou" cluster comes from the Mandinka language.

General information about Mandinka people & Mandinka language are included in this post along with general statements about Mandinka given (personal) names.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/12/what-african-name-toure-means-etymology.html for the closely related pancocojams post "What The African Name Touré Means (Etymology, History, & Examples Of Famous People With That Name)".

Note that the name comes from Touré the Soninke branch of the Mande people of West Africa. Mandinka is one of the other branches of this large ethnic group.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT MANDINKA (PEOPLE)
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandinka_people
"The Mandinka (also known as Mandenka, Mandinko, Mandingo, Manding or Malinke)[9] are a African ethnic group with an estimated global population of 11 million (the other three largest ethnic groups in Africa being the unrelated Fula, Hausa and Songhai peoples). The Mandinka are the descendants of the Mali Empire, which rose to power in the 13th century under the rule of the Malinké/Maninka king Sundiata Keita.

The Mandinka are one ethnic group within the larger linguistic family of the Mandé peoples, who account for more than 90 million people. (Other Mande peoples include the Dyula, Bozo, Bissa and Bambara). Originally from Mali, the Mandinka gained their independence from previous empires in the 13th century and founded an empire which stretched across Africa. They migrated west from the Niger River in search of better agricultural lands and more opportunities for conquest. Through a series of Fula conflicts known as the Fula jihads, particularly the Fula-led Imamate of Futa Jallon, many Mandinka people converted from indigenous animist beliefs to Islam. In the 21st century, more than 99% of Mandinka in contemporary Africa are Muslim.[10][11]

The Mandinka people live primarily in Africa, particularly in The Gambia and Guinea—in both of which they constitute the largest ethnic group.[12] Major populations of the Mandinka people also live in Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Niger and Mauritania. Although widespread, in most countries the Mandinka are not the largest ethnic group.[12] Most Mandinka live in family-related compounds in traditional rural villages. Their traditional society has featured socially stratified castes.[9][13][14] Mandinka communities have been fairly autonomous and self-ruled, being led by a chief and group of elders. Mandinka has been an oral society where mythologies, history and knowledge is verbally transmitted from one generation to next.[15]"

****
INFORMATION ABOUT MANDINKA (LANGUAGE)
From https://www.omniglot.com/writing/mandinka.htm
"Mandinka (Mandi'nka kango / لغة مندنكا)

Mandinka is a Mande language with about 1.3 million speakers (in 2006) in Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau and Chad. It is the main language of The Gambia, and is recognised as a minority language in Senegal. Mandinka is also known as Mandingo.

There are versions of the Latin and Arabic scripts for writing Mandinka. The Latin script is official, but the Arabic script is used by more people, and is older. The N'Ko script is also used in north east Guinea, and in neighbouring parts of Ivory Coast and Mali.”...

****
GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT MANDINKA GIVEN NAMES
From http://www.accessgambia.com/information/names.html
Excerpt quoted in Google search but is no longer found on that website (as of December 14, 2017)
"Most Gambian names are either directly from the Koran or they are modified versions of them. For example Lamin is the local for for Al-Amin (a title given to the prophet Mohammed which means "the trustworthy"). In fact most first born males from the Mandinka tribe are named Lamin which can lead to a great deal of [confusion]...” [Pancocojams Editor: This quote ends with the word "of"]

**
[Here's the portion of that introduction that's found on that website as of December 14, 2017]
"Names of People in Gambia

Gambian names will be unfamiliar at first to European ears—though some Gambians are called John, many more are called by 'African' names such as Lamin (derived from the Arabic Al-Amin) which is the most common Gambian name or Muslim names such as Mohammed.

....Note that spelling variations are common."...
-snip-
From my internet reading, I believe that "ou" in these Mandinka names have the same sound as the English "u", and may be the 'standard' way that the "u" sound is written in that language. Note, for example, that the male name "Abdoulie" is a Mandinka form of the Arabic male name "Abdul".

****
LISTS OF MANDINKA GIVEN NAMES ENDING IN "OU"
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
These lists are given in no particular order. Numbers are assigned to these lists for referencing purposes only.

Names from one list are often found on other lists.

Name meanings aren't given unless they are included in the quoted text.

LIST #1
From http://pecesofadream.blogspot.com/2008/09/gambia-local-names-ane-their-meaning.html
"GAMBIA LOCAL NAMES AND THEIR MEANING
Abdou-M -man's name (Mandinka)

Abi-F-short form of Abibatu, Abisatou, Abiyatou

Abdoulie-M-short form of Abdoulie

Alabatou-F-to worship (Mandinka)

Alamouta-M-to rely on God (Mandinka)

Amadou-M-one of Muhammad's names; popular boy's name

Antouman-M -man's name (Mandinka)

Babou-M-Baabu and Buubakar stand for Abuubakar

Bintou-F-lady's name (Mandinka)

Dodou-M

Fatou-F

Fatoumatta-F

Hasimou -M

Isatou-F- long form of Ayisa (Isa)

Jibou-M

Modou-M

Saikou-M-popular boy's name"
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from that site publisher’s profile statement:
“My name is Dulci.People call Dulci Bonita. I was born in Suriham Amsterdam and love travelling that brings me to Banjul, The gambia (West Africa)I see a lot of talent in the children of The Gambia expecially in the Ebo-Village Where My Husband's Family lives and it is through them they inspired me to try to give them a chance to make their dreamd come true and create more love for the African People in General. This site is based on love,nature,dreams,understanding and real African culture expecially that of The Gambia and the Ebo-Village community. And mostly its a community web site For The Gambians And the Ebo-Village Community.My next Admine is Amadou G Jallow who is In the Gambia And is based in the Ebo-Village who is so couragious,and curious to tell every one about the real life of the African,Gambian people and its culture.”...

****
LIST #2
From http://resourcepage.gambia.dk/names.htm

[Pancocojams Editor- These names were given in two sections: the first section highlighted common names for boys and common names for girls, and the second section presented a more comprehensive list of names for boys and a list for girls. I combined those lists of boys names and girls names into one list and added [m] for males (boys) and [f] for females (girls) after the names.]

“Traditional Names

Disclaimer:This list is still under development and is far from comprehsive. So if we missed your name, or another traditional Gambian name that you know about, please let us know so we can add it to the list.
Below are some fairly common names one may find in The Gambia:
Abdoulie(Abdou)

Amadou- M

Momodou (or just 'Modou')-M

Ousman - M

Saikou-M

Fatoumatta (or just Fatou)-F

Satou -F

Here is a more comprehensive list of names. This list of names was derived from the Mandinka dictionary, but many of these names are common among the other major ethnic groups in The Gambia as well, such as the Fula, Wolof, and Jola.

Abdoulie(Abdou) [m]

Alimatou [f]

Amadou [m]

Bassirou [m]

Baturou [m]

Bintou/Bintu [f]

Fatoumatta (or just Fatou) [f]

Hasimou [m]

Isatou [f]

Jahou [f]

Jatou [f]

Jibou [f]

Momodou (or just 'Modou') [m]

Saikou [m]"
-snip-
Here's the link to the Mandinka dictionary that was the source for the names on this list:
http://resourcepage.gambia.dk/langabot.htm

****
LIST #3
From http://www.accessgambia.com/information/names.html
Names of People in Gambia
..."Below are listed popular Gambian male and female first names as well as common surnames; nicknames are in parenthesis. Note that spelling variations are common."

[Pancocojams Editor- These names were given in two lists one for boys and one for girls. I combined the list and added [m] for males (boys) and [f] for females (girls) after the names.]

Abdoulaye [m]

Baboucar (Bouba) [m]

Fatoumata (Fatou) [f]

Isatou [f]

Kaddyatou (Kady) [f]

Ramatoulaye (Ramou) [f]

Saihou [m]"

****
LIST #4
From http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/gambia.htm
"Abou-m

Abdoulie- m

Abdou-m- short form of Abdoulie

Abi -f- short form of Abibatu, Abisatou, Abiyatou

Alabatou – f- to worship [Mandinka]

Alamatou-m- to rely on God

Amadou- m-one of Mohammad’s names, popular boy’s name

Antouman-m- man’s name

Babou- m- Baabu and Buubakar stand for Abuubakar -man’s name (Mandinka)

Bintou-F- ladies name (Mandinka)

Dodou – M

Fatou- F

Fatoumatta -F

Hasimou-M

Isatou-F- long form of Ayisa (Isa)

Jabou- F

Jatou-M

Jibou-M

Modou-M

Momodou-M

Ousman-M

Saikou-M- popular boy’s names

****
LIST #5
From http://www.columbia.edu/~msj42/Common%20Gambian%20First%20Names.htm
"List of Gambian Names was compiled by Mr. Saikou Samateh with contributions from subscribers to Gambia-L discussion forum. Please note that some names are used by both male and female. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the list.

Last updated: 12/16/08.

[Pancocojams Editor’s Note: This full list includes a number of “standard English” given names]

Gambian Names

FEMALE
Allabatou

Allamouta

Allimatou

Asanatou

Coumba

Coura

Fatoumata

Fatou

Babibatou

Houdja

Houmou

Isatou

Jariatou

Kodou

Kurou

Olimatou

Ousainatou

Sainabou

Sanou

Saratou

MALE

Abdoulaye

Alboury

Alfusainou

Allabatou

Allamouta

Amadou

Baboucar

Basirou

Bechou

Fallou

Houn

Ibou

Ketabou

Momodou

Mounir

Ousainou

Ousman

Saidou

Saikou

Sambou

****
LIST #6
From http://www.afropedea.org/common-mandinka-names Common Mandinka Names
"Mandinkas (Mandingo) were founders of the Great Mali Empire. Mandinka first names are typically
Africanized Arabic names.

Fatou [f]

Isatou [f]

Coulibaly [M]

Kouyaté [m]

Ouattara [m]

****
LIST #7
From http://mansata.wikifoundry.com/page/Gambian+Names+**FEMALE**+**NEW**
"Babibatou

Fatoumata

Fatou

Isatou

Jabou

Jariatou

Kodou

Kurou

Ndiabou

Olimatou

Ousainatou

Tasatou"

****
LINK TO RELATED PANCOCOJAMS POST
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/12/senegalese-childrens-song-fatou-yo-by.html
"Senegalese Children's Song "Fatou Yo" by Touré Kunda (information, lyrics, & YouTube sound file)"

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

Kora & Guitar Musician & Singer Sona Jobarteh - "The Gambia" (video, information, comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update; June 17, 2019

This pancocojams post showcases a video of the song "Gambia" by the Gambian musician/vocalist Sona Jobarteh.
This post also provides information about Sona Jobarteh along with selected comments about this singer musician and this song from that YouTube video's discussion thread. This song's lyrics in Mandinka and its English translation are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Sona Jobarteh for her musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT SONA JOBARTEH
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sona_Jobarteh
"Sona Jobarteh is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer from the Gambia and the UK. She was born in 1983[1] into one of the five principal Kora-playing Griot families from West Africa - she is the first female professional kora player[1][2] to come from a Griot family. She is the granddaughter of the Master Griot of his generation, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, cousin of the well-known, celebrated Kora player Toumani Diabate as well as the sister of the renowned Diaspora Kora player Tunde Jegede.[3]

Biography
Born in London,[1] Sona Jobarteh is a member of one of the five principal Kora-playing (Griot) families from West Africa, and the first female member of such a family to rise to prominence on this instrument. Before her, the playing of this 21-stringed harp-like instrument was exclusively passed down from father to son.[4] The instrument is an important element of the Mandingo peoples in West Africa and their playing is reserved only to certain families called Griot.[5] She is the granddaughter of the Master Griot of his generation, Amadu Bansang Jobarteh, who migrated from Mali to the Gambia. Her cousin is the well-known, celebrated Kora player Toumani Diabate. She has studied the Kora since the age of three, at first taught by her brother Tunde Jegede, and then by her father, Sanjally Jobarteh. She gave her first performance at London’s Jazz Café when she was four years old.[1][4][6]....

Artistry
She is European-born of African heritage, and strongly identifies with the latter.[1] Spending significant time in both England and the Gambia,[1] she blends different musical styles, from both the European and West African traditions.[4] However, unlike her contemporaries, she explores and expands on traditional African roots rather than trying to fuse them with contemporary hip-hop and jazz.[1] Instead, she looks to reinterprate traditional music.[5] In addition to the kora, she also sings and plays the guitar.[1]"...

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Sona Jobarteh - GAMBIA (Official Video)


The West African Guild Published on Nov 19, 2015

Sona Jobarteh's debut music video "Gambia" in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence for the Gambia in 2015.

****
LYRICS: THE GAMBIA (IN THE MANDINKA LANGUAGE)*
(Sonia Jobarteh)

VERSE 1
Kairaya loo
Tengkungoyabeng
Yiriwaningnyatotaa le yajiyaa
Hadamaya
Sewo ye nyaadaalubeng
N'nabankukendemaalem

Gambia
Ibedawoda
Ikana song mummey
kanyineyfaasuwo la
Gambia
Tonya
I'nyinatai'bonsungwo la
I'nyinatai'fangwo le la
Nsinganyaa
N'tenganyaata
N'nabanko le la
N'singanyaa
N'singanyaa
N'singanyaa
Al nganaakafunyooma
Nganyomuta
N'singanyaa
Wolemunyatotaa
Ningnafasoto

CHORUS 1

Gambiankolu le
Nyinembankunyimati
Gambiankolu le
Nyingbankukaira ma
Gambiankolu le
Nyinemmoolabankooti
Gambiankolu le
Nyinenyongomangsiyaa

VERSE 2
A nemata
Woleyasaabu
Mooluyabunyaa
Abarakata


*Source: hais Soares (posted in 2016 from that YouTube's viewer discussion thread https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtmmlOQnTXM)
-snip-
English translation from https://lyricstranslate.com/en/gambia-gambia.html-2

The Gambia
Built in peace and stability,
hosted by development and progress,
Humanity
and happiness is on all faces,
our outstanding country Gambia.

Wherever you are
, never forget
your homeland Gambia
For if you forget your roots,
you turn your back on who you are.

(Refrain):
We are proud…
We are proud of our country

(Refrain):
We are proud…
Let us come together and unite
(Refrain):
We are proud…
This is what will result in progress

People of the Gambia; this is the beautiful land
People of the Gambia; this is the peaceful land
People of the Gambia; this is the land of our people
People of the Gambia; there is nothing that compares to this land
People honour this country because it is blessed

We should not abandon our beautiful country
Sons/daughters of this land, let us come to together
I will truly always be proud to be a Gambian
Wherever I travel, I shall tell of the wonders of this country
There is nowhere that compares to Gambia

Outro:
The home of Peace… everyone say “Gambia”
The home of Blessings… everyone say “Gambia”
The home of Humility… everyone say “Gambia”
The home of Family… everyone say “Gambia”


****
SELECTED COMMENTS
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest comment given first. I've assigned numbers for referencing purposes only.
1. Tiya S, 2015
"where she come from ?"

**
Reply
2. blade, 2016
"she comes from Gambia. .The smiling coast. We are all proud of her"

**
Reply
Tiya S, 2016
"+blade i know but she not a full gambian i want to know with what she is mixt ?"

**
Reply
blade, 2016
"+fatsyii Mk well I may not be able to tell exactly all about her biography, but her grandfather migrate from Mali to Gambia and sona was born in the UK in London and her family lives in a place in Gambia called Kembujeh in the west coast region near a Town called Brikama and there also have great kora artist like jaliba kuyateh, tata dinding jobarteh and many more, but sona is truly amazing in this music"
-snip-
This comment exchange continued with blade asking whether Sona Jobarteh's mother was (is) White European. As of the date of this post's publication, no commenter had answered that question.

**
Islamadeena, 2016
"Ahmad Najib She sings about working in togetherness to progress and develop the country in short."

**
Kieran Sudworth, 2016
"Just returned from my third visit to The Gambia and loved it as usual. By the way Sona Jobarteh is singing this song in Mandinka language."

**
Reply
Marybella Criola Guigui, 2016
"oh yes that my native language! mandinka"

**
Reply
Kieran Sudworth, 2016
"+Marybella Criola Guigui Maybe you could translate the lyrics for us non Mandinka speakers lol"

**
Reply
Wata Lano, 2016
"the song is about knowing where u come from and dont Forget where u come from. she is also encouraging gambians for patriotism and unity and saying how bless, lovely and peaseful Gambia is."

**
Foday Ladie, 2016
"you need to understand the lyrics, she is praising her mother land The Gambia. mind you Sona is a British by birth"

**
Yaya Camara, 2016
"She is singing in mandinka language, a tribe in Gambia and also spoken by the majority in that beautiful land.fondly call smiling coast. wmmm"

**
yuri.dp, 2016
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandinka_people it is about them?"

**
Reply
kd carney, 2016
"+yuri.dp
It is Mandinka language but is about the Country of Gambia."

**
Anthony Thorne, 2016
"If I am having a tough day I just play her music. Her soft soothing voice coupled with harmonics of the Kora just sets the tone to power through the rest of the day. The maleness of the Kora combined with femaleness of Sona completes the whole. I live in Trinidad and Tobago and the name Jobity is present here but I can't seem to find it in the US or England could be a version of the Jobarteh name that survived the water crossing? Any ideas or info would be helpful."

**
Alhagie Sillah, 2016
"thank so much my sister sona jobarteh for your singing my country gambia smiling coast of west africa your singing this song in mandinka language is so beautiful i love u sona so much and i love all of your group band kora music from west africa i'm very happy for you and i'm proud for you thank you"

**
mizzomiz, 2016
"so what are the lyrics? and can someone translate mandika?"

**
Reply
jatou cee, 2016
"she is singing a praise song about her country Gambia. About the peace, togetherness etc.i hope this helps"

****
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What "Red Card" Means In Silky Criss' Gambian Dancehall Reggae Song "Red Card"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a video by the Gambian musician/vocalist Silky Criss and provides information about what the expression "giving a red card" means in different contexts.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, political, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Silky Criss for his musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

This is a companion post to this previous pancocojams post about the crisis in The Gambia: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/01/pa-bobo-jobarteh-step-down-jammeh-new.html Pa Bobo Jobarteh - Step down Jammeh (New Gambia) - with information about the political crisis in Gambia, West Africa

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: RED CARD by Silky Criss



TV4gament, Published on Jan 1, 2014

Welcome to 2014, with this brilliant Imagery from Supagrafix...Silky Criss in RED CARD. as Directed By Efe Omo Igori, Happy Viewing

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WHAT IS THE ATHLETIC MEANING OF "RED CARD"?
Original Athletic Meaning:
The expression "giving a red card" comes from the game of soccer:
From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/red+card
red card
"red card [noun]
A red-colored card shown by a referee to a player, especially in soccer, to indicate that the player is being ejected from the game."

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From https://sites.google.com/site/americansguidetosoccer/laws-of-the-game/yellow-cards-and-red-cards\
"Yellow Cards and Red Cards
What are they?
Yellow and red cards are used as a means to discipline players for misconduct during the game. A yellow card is used to caution players, while a red card results in the player's dismissal from the field of play. Thus, yellow cards are used to punish milder forms of misconduct than red cards. However, if a player receives two yellow cards in one game, he gets an automatic red card."

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WHAT DOES RED CARD MEAN IN THE CONTEXT OF SILKY CRISS' SONG WITH THAT TITLE?
Romantic Meaning
In Gambian Dancehall Reggae singer Silky Criss' song of that name, the soccer meaning is extended to mean "informing someone that you are ending your romantic relationship with her (or him) by either actually giving them a red card or by just using that expression.

From http://whatson-gambia.com/news/headline-news/636-after-getting-the-red-card-from-silky-criss-sandeng-is-now-madly-in-love.html# After getting the RED CARD from Silky Criss, Sandeng is now madly in love, Written by Saja, Published on Tuesday, 29 November [20??]
"She was attacked by her ex-boyfriend Silky Criss in his hit single, Red Card.

'Girl you broke my heart, now I give you RED CARD. Stay away!'

Sandeng is now staying away from him as she enjoys her new relationship with fellow band member, Modou Joof a.k.a Dre.

The pair has been seeing each other for a while now, sources disclosed to What On-Gambia. And Sandeng is no longer keeping the relationship under wraps because Dre is a "potential husband”.

Dre recently posted a koriteh photo with the popular singer on his Facebook wall confirming their love is real and not a showmance.

Sandeng is one of the lead vocalists for Humanity Starz. She has a voice that can instantly be recognized by all Gambian music enthusiasts

Please, Sandeng don’t forget to inform What’s On-Gambia when Dre proposes."

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Political meaning
Silky Criss's "Red Card" song with its "I reject you" theme became a rallying symbol for Gambians in opposition to the continuation of the twenty two year rule of Gambian's [then] president Yahya Jammeh:
"His love song Red Card became the anthem of the opposition to the president, and his graffiti calling on Mr Jammeh to step down led to his crew being pursued by security officials"...http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38718818 The Gambia's Jammeh may be gone* but life is far from normal by Alastair Leithead, 23 January 2017
-snip-
Read that BBC article for more information about the political situation in The Gambia. Jammeh finally left The Gambia on January 22, 2017. Also, click http://www.aljazeera.com/topics/country/gambia.html for more political information about The Gambia

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Pa Bobo Jobarteh - "Step down Jammeh (New Gambia)" - with information about the political crisis in Gambia, West Africa

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the current crisis in the Gambia, West Africa and showcases a video of a song about that crisis by the Gambian musician/vocalist Pa Bobo Jobarteh. Information about Pa Bobo Jobarteh is included in this post along with selected comments from this video's discussion thread.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, political, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Pa Bobo Jobarteh for his musical legacy and thanks for his courage and creativity in composing and performing "Step Down Jammeh".

My prayers are with the people of the Gambia during this momentous time.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE GAMBIA (as of the date of this publication)
From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gambia-president-elect-sworn-in_us_5880f2d5e4b070d8cad0ff7a?e2sl3vf7qxgioogvi Gambia’s President-Elect Sworn In Despite Incumbent’s Refusal To Step Down
Yahya Jammeh has been in power since 1994 and has refused to concede.
Reuters, 01/19/2017 12:13 pm ET
"Adama Barrow was sworn in as Gambia’s new president on Thursday at a ceremony in the country’s embassy in neighboring Senegal, as incumbent Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after last month’s presidential election.

“This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in a lifetime,” Barrow said in a speech immediately after taking the oath of office. The ceremony was broadcast on Senegalese television.

Fearing unrest, thousands of Gambians have fled the country, the United Nations estimates, and diplomats said its Security Council would on Thursday vote on a resolution backing ECOWAS’s efforts.

Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup and whose mandate ended overnight, initially conceded to Barrow before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed. Overnight talks to persuade him to stand down failed despite his increasing political isolation.

“It is very important to us that (Barrow) ...will be sworn in today. Then we can make arrangements for him to go back to Gambia,” said Isatou Toure, a senior Barrow aide...

The Gambian capital, Banjul, was largely quiet on Thursday.

As tour companies pressed on with the evacuation of hundreds of European holidaymakers, shops, market stalls and banks remained closed while police circulated in trucks and soldiers manned checkpoints.

DIPLOMATIC ISOLATION

Senegal’s army, which has deployed hundreds of soldiers at the Gambian border, said on Wednesday it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight. Ghana has also pledged troops.

“What the Senegalese said about the midnight deadline was to put pressure on Jammeh. It was a show of muscle,” a diplomat in the region told Reuters.

A senior military source in Nigeria, which pre-positioned war planes and helicopters in Dakar, told Reuters that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.

It was unclear what Jammeh’s next move would be.

He faces almost total diplomatic isolation and a government riddled by defections. In the biggest loss yet, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, who has held the role since 1997, quit on Wednesday, a government source and a family member told Reuter"...

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INFORMATION ABOUT PA BOBO JOBARTEH
From http://www.accessgambia.com/information/pa-bobo-jobarteh.html
"Pa Bobo Jobarteh is a Mandinka bard, a virtuoso kora player. He composes his own music and performs with his own band called the The Kaira Band was formed in 1988. Fusing hot Senegalese mbalax drumming with cool Manding kora. Its what could be called modern Afro-Manding music for dances and parties.

His rising popularity in The Gambia comes as a result of his adaptations & progression with the musical traditions of his birth.

Pa Bobo was born into one of The Gambia’s most famous Jali families, a family whose musical tradition in West Africa began many generations ago in the eighteenth century. His Father is Malamini Jobarteh (formerly manager of The Gambia National Troup, now retired from music), his grandfather was Kelung Jobarteh and his great grandfather Wandifery Jobarteh, all masters of the kora.

Pa began to play Kora at 6. His international career started with a European tour at age 11. In 1988, aged just 13, he played at WOMAD in the UK to large audiences both in Cornwall and Reading. He has also performed concert tours in Senegal, Singapore and Australia. At 22 Pa recorded `Kaira Naata` for `Real World Records`. Now his rising popularity in The Gambia is a result of his adaptations & progression with the musical traditions of his birth."

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SHOWCASE VIDEO Pa Bobo Jobarteh - Step down Jammeh (New Gambia)



Oumie Jatta, Published on Dec 20, 2016

New hit by Pa Bobo. I hope Jammeh listens to this.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.
December 2016
1. RIBERY 97
"I dont like the song because his forget about Serahules"*
-snip-
*From http://www.accessgambia.com/information/serahule.html
"The Serahule (or as they are sometimes know the Sarahule, Sarakole, Serahuli or Soninke) make up 9% of the population of Gambia and were and are still engaged in the occupations of peanut and cotton farming, making decorative pottery, goldsmiths, trading and some are involved in the diamond businesses of Sierra Leone and Angola. Today the Serahule are among the country's leading entrepreneurs and real estate owners & developers. Their largest population concentration is in Basse town which is on the eastern most part of the country and the vast majority are Muslims.

They form minority ethic groups in other West African countries such as Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Senegal."....

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Reply
2. seedy sing,
"RIBERY 97
no worries bro serahules n the mandinkas r Bros, we all Gambians"

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Reply
3.RIBERY 97
"seedy sing Thanks bro bless up"

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January 2017
Reply
4. Dudu Jallow
"RIBERY 97 you are right but we're all one.Gambia is our tribe..."

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Reply
5. Carlos Rober
"Am sorry my brother is the way the song is we are all one my brother I'm mandinka but i based in serahulli tribe for teaching field"

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Reply
6. RIBERY 97
"Thank you to everybody"

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Reply
7. Pa Boy
"ooh our sons don't worry no one will ever forget his or sons,lol"

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Reply
8. Ibrahima Keita
"RIBERY 97 we love you for the great job you are doing Oumie"

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Reply
9. Buba Konteh
"RIBERY 97 no just understand him is human being is mistake gambia one love"

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December 2016
10. Been Woods
"Very nice 👍 we want freedom no way back time up fight has begin"

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Reply
11. Amadou Kujabi
"This song is dedicated to Jammeh the outgoing president (Na-wasa)"

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January 2017
12. Ousman Fatajo
"you are heros of music adis moment you love peace and security in Gambia"

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13. amadou tijan Senghore
"come January 19th, we will March to state house with this song as our motivation"

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14. B4 Filan
"Nice bro #Gambia"

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15. Babou Jassey
"nice song I like it we need freedom"

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16. Janko Foday
"Nice music keep it up and may God gives u long life"

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Ten Video Examples Of African Women Wearing Tied Head Scarfs (in various nations other than Nigeria)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part series on tying head wraps (head scarves). Part III showcases ten video examples of women from African nations other than Nigeria wearing tied head wraps. The featured African nations, in alphabetical order, are Benin, Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Zambia.

Unlike the other two posts in this series, this post doesn't feature how-to videos. Instead, it showcases music and dance videos that happen to show a woman or women wearing a tied head wrap.

This post doesn't purport to provide a comprehensive description of tied head wrap styles in those featured nations or in the African continent as a whole.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/01/how-to-tie-yoruba-geles-womens-head.html for Part I. Part I focuses on the Yoruba (Nigeria) custom of women wearing geles (head wraps). Examples of Igbo women wearing headwraps (ichafus) can be found in the Addendum to this video.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/01/african-american-wearing-head-scarves.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents some information about the history of African American women wearing head scarves and presents several video examples of some of the ways that contemporary Black women in the United States tie head scarves (head wraps).

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic reasons.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to those featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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FEATURED VIDEO EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting date on YouTube with the oldest dated example given first. The source nation for these videos is given in parenthesis.

It's difficult to find online information about traditions and contemporary customs associated with females tying head scarves in these featured nations. However, it's likely that women wearing tied head wraps served and continues to serve as expressions of a person's creativity and individuality and also served/serves ornamental/beautification purposes. That said, the video given as Example #4 below suggests that woman wearing tied head wraps may sometimes have served and continue to serve a religious purpose, perhaps similar to the custom/injunction in some Christian churches that females must cover their hair while they are in church.

Example #1: Liberia Zaye Tete [Liberia]



ROWLIN WHITE, Uploaded on Aug 17, 2008

Liberia Zaye Tete latest Music Video

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Example #2: Benin music- Don Metok : Gnonnou [Benin]



Bill Emile Davolk, Uploaded on Dec 31, 2008

benin Music: "Yonnu" by Don Metok

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Example #3: Traditional Akan funeral - Ghana, West Afrika [Ghana]



Adiama Uploaded on Jun 17, 2009

Scenes from Adiama Sankofa Journey 2008 in Ghana, West Afrika. In this clip participants make an impromptu visit to a traditional Akan funeral in the Asante region and are graciously received by the community. http://adiama.com

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Example #4: Zambian gospel music (Samfya catholic church Zambia) [Zambia]



nkandu81, Uploaded on Jul 24, 2009

sounds en voices of a zambian catholic choir
By emmanuel Banda
Belgium

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Example #5: Beautiful African Woman Plays Guitar In A Slightly Non-Traditional Manner [Botswana]



gopro25, Uploaded on Jun 24, 2010

This African woman plays a strangely tuned guitar in a language that we can all understand.

Utterly Breathtaking Guitar Performance AFRICA

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Example #6: soninke festival, suduwol [Gambia]



soninke1000, Uploaded on Feb 16, 2012

soninkara cultural festival at suduwol the gambia. it was organised by sydo soninkara

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Example #7: Fulani nation's music [Senegal]



νταλικέρης Uploaded on Feb 23, 2012

Traditional Fulani's music from Senegal.

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Example #8: Mama Korowa - Dama Mamo (malematauas.blogspot.com) [Mozambique]



Edgar P. Cadir Uploaded on Feb 28, 2012

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Example #9: Sierra Leone Temne Culture [Sierra Leone]


Jacob Conteh, Published on Apr 24, 2012

Dressed in colorful attired, these Temne women are part of the Digba Society of Patfu Mayawa in Central Sierra Leone. This ceremony marks their 'graduation' taken with my iPad

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Example #10: Somalia in the 80s | Somali Folk Dance



SomaliArchive Published on Jun 6, 2012

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