Saiks,
I think you make some valid points. And I agree with how you valuate music. 
 Perhaps brother Oko is compartmentalising culture and traditions to be 
conveyed  in mere sound quality. Culture and tradition is dynamic for a people 
and  consists of experiences of their forebears and the hopes of their 
progeny.  Perhaps brother Oko can recalibrate his understanding of culture and  
traditions. I do agree with him to the extent that when a craft is not  
appreciated and celebrated, its potence as conveyor and patron of any culture  
and or tradition will be lacklustre. Prehaps this is what brother Oko speaks  
to. That if we give our local musicians and griots more of an ear and  
grace, and because they are better suited to convey our cultures and traditions,  
that they will do a better job of it than one who is farther removed from  
that culture and tradition. I agree with you Saiks that Advocacy is a form  
of cultural communication and instead of using the stage to advocate, the 
likes  of Jaliba are contented to sing praises, even if the one praised is the 
criminal  in our midst, thereby working counter to advocates.
 
So, like you, I encourage brother Oko to counsel Jaliba Kuyateh in worths  
and values and that culture and traditions does not equal clueless 
gallantry. So  I will continue to celebrate Jaliba like any other musician and I will 
adopt him  when he yields his stature and craft more value. Baab Maal is a 
social  musician. So was the late John Denver and Paul Simon. From time to 
time Youssou  Ndure lends his voice to advocacy and I love him for that. When 
Jaliba does  that, I will gravitate more to his music. So we want more 
substance in  our culture and traditions.
Haruna. Forget tribalism. That will be with us for some time to come. But  
we can beat it. Tribalism seems to me to be the industry of the lazy and  
clueless. I don't even think its worth wasting our breath on. We should work  
toward neutralizing it and identifying its contours.
 
Good to hear you again Saiks. Do you know Demba is incarcerated and can be  
bonded out Saiks??? That will depend on whether or not he is a pain in your 
 neck. He gets on my nerves sometimes with his simultaneous bias and 
neutral. Why  can't he choose either at a time?? He gives new meaning to 
ambidexterity. That  man. So if he gets on your nerves like he does on mine 
sometimes, you know you  can keep him locked up while we continue to enjoy each 
others' companies. Ehh,  Demba. You're not free yet to speak here. I don't know 
why I have to always keep  reminding you of that.
 
In a message dated 1/19/2010 8:40:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Whiles  I agree with much of what Oko is saying,he knows better, I want to 
believe  that the tribal thing is some how true but not the absolute truth. 
I know that  Lalo Kebbah was listened to by all, regardless of tribe and TK 
(Touray  Kunda)was very popular among many,infact the later,not much among 
the  Mandingas but the Urban youths of Banjul and Serre Kunda.
There must  be other reasons why Gambian musiocians are not that much 
popular among  Gambians, I dont know why. For me,I would rather listen to Omar 
Penn or Ousa  than Musa Ngom or Jaliba Kujateh.This has to do with my social 
engagement. I  konw the last thing that Jaliba or Musa Ngom will do is to 
lament the  plight of ordinary Gambians,Ousa will have no problem with that,he 
has been  detained for many times and lost out of favour for his 
believes.Their musical  tunes are fantastic,especially Jaliba,but the substance,zero 
!!!!!
for  Freedom
Saiks

 
____________________________________
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:51:45 +0000
From:  [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A look into Jaliba Kuyateh's musical  career
To: [log in to unmask]

It is also important for Oko's view to be read by the L guys. I found  them 
strong with the love of inclusive Gambian cultures, we all need to open  up 
and embrace.
 
Thanks Sountou & thanks Cherno Jallow
By Oko Drammeh of Sotokoto online  network

A NOTE FROM OKO
The Gambia is a very tribalist  country. 
The reason being is that we still practice tribal culture and  tribal unity 
of purpose. We live in small interest groups and our tribal  beliefs and 
values are not compromised for  modernisation.

Jaliba Kuyateh will be a celebration artists  for a while to come because 
the Wollof community will not accept him and will  not invite him to their 
major functions. The Gambian- Banjulians take pride in  Senegalese cultural 
values than Gambian Mandinka or Fula, or jola values. This  was the disrespect 
they had for Ifangbondi. The wollof community seem to be  the trendsetters 
of Senegalese culture in Gambian communities. Every  Senegalese is a 
Senegalese BUT every Gambia is a Jola, Mandinka, Fula or  Wollof. WHY?

It was all fine when Ifangbondi played Saraba or  Xalel Daii maga but as 
soon as the Jola rhythms and songs, Fula and Mandingo  beats start pouring, 
the elite: ladies and gentlemen of that time (even if  they are Jolas, Fula & 
Mandinkas ) they will start to leave for home.  

Gambians are still not culturaly awake. 
They want to share  the Euro- Urban life style of little Dakar or Europe 
and not the original-folk  music of the country. Gambians are still not 
liberrated culturally. This is  why our youth copy foreign clothes, foreign music, 
foreign insults like  (Bang-Bang your Mama), the sound of the gun.and 
applly these messages in the  Gambian composition music, also with mixed up 
Jamaican Jah Rastafarian Reggae  lyrics which did not make it big breakthrough 
since Bob Marley, except on  third world radio station and news media programs 
which is not in the  accountable mainstream industry.We are far from 
understanding how the industry  works.

Ndagga did not come from Gambian- But It is wollof.
We  can say Laba Sosseh Tussed it and Ifangbondi conceptionalized it. Laba  
Sosseh  had all the guts to sing in Wollof while all the band members of  
the Foyer Band were semi portugese in Banjul and sang in Spanisn &  Potugese, 
although Cha Cha Cha Salsa/ Pachanga tunes but that brought about  the 
dearing "Bi-Tanka du Lal Be" by the Super Eagles by dearing to fused-in  Wollof 
in their Salsa music.

The latin tunes 
were more  acceptable to colonisers and that's how the wollof, the Groumets 
(Grumets/  Catholics). The wollof-party people who drink wine & eat pork 
were the  Grumets.The wollof ladies were the party goers and had many mulato 
kids with  slave masters and love slave masters music. This is why Dakar love 
pachanga/  Africando/ Tasu- Mbalax/ Salas Mbalax no one Plays Ndanga- Njie 
Pop.
All  Ndaga is Salsa

Senegal had a Poet President who had partners in  countries all over the 
world. They staged shows, festivals, opened royality  offices, concerts halls 
and music administration set ups. This is running till  today in Dakar 
including the school of Arts. 

Gambians do not  know this. The British needed our manpower in Europe, to 
abandon our country  and give our human resources to England.
When Europe need your country,  they would want to you to stay and build 
railways but if they don't need you,  like The Gambia you can start imitating 
them and pledge your future to the  Union Jack.

Senegal have artists and musicians runnunig the  business since day one. 
Right now it is musicians who control the budget, the  programs and are 
responsible for international tour and building of  auditariums. Also in sports, 
theater etc,

THEY GIVE IT TO THOES  WHO HAVE DONE IT BEFORE AND ARE RECOGINSED BY THE 
INDUSTRY TO DO IT. THEY ARE  RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD NEWS MEDIA.

I see too often how Gambians  pick up small pop infants band from Senegal 
for their occation in France,  England, USA & Scandanvia while they ignore 
Jaliba Kuyateh and his  Mandingo music. The acceptance they would give to an 
Unkown Djibi or Djimay  drammeh or a Pape Diouf etc, or Kumba Ting Ting, 
Falia Baldeh, etc, etc is  more than the acceptance they give to Jaliba. If you 
go to Dakar some artists  (mostly Malians & Guineans, some Senegalese)  will 
tell you that they  want to be like Jaliba, they like his songs, his music 
and his strenght to  hang on for so long. But when you come with Jaliba to 
gambians, he is a tribal  artists.

I know thoes who hire Jaliba. He is only fit for  ceremonies, homely 
weddings and Multicultural African Somalian Youth Center  concerts hall shows. 
These are Patrons of Jaliba Kuyateh and they pay his  bills and keep him to 
maintain for the past 25 years.They are not industry  people, the promoters of 
Jaliba are not known to the business of music, the  press do not run down 
Pre-views and musical reviews on Jaliba when invited by  his loyal patrons.

There is no collective effort to promote him.  If we loose Jaliba now, he 
will be worthless in our history books like Pa  Touray, Laba Sosseh & the 
rest. Gambians do not document their artists.  Jaliba is not represented by any 
major label and distributed by a major label.  He still need to be 
introduced. If he has well produced shows he will be  recognized.This can happen 
only if we all believe in him like we believe in  what we choose. believe is a 
choice. His biggest honoiur is UNICEF amdassador.  What $$$$ signs are no 
it, none !

I decided to record the  Kora Dance album by Jaliba for a major label and 
for documentation and a tour  was planned to promote him worldwide.I took 
many Jazz artists and soul &  blues artists of American name brands like, Don 
Grusin, Larry Williams/  Seawind, Leon Ware, Bill Summers from Quincy Jones 
band and we did the album  with Jaliba. We pitched the tour to promote his 
new industry sound to many  Gambian music promoters round the world, not one 
replied in the positive. So I  decided to call it a day. But I am always 
ready to do it all over  again

It is sometimes dissapointing how Gambians respond to  mandingo music. But 
they like Salif Keita, Mory Kanta & Sekou Bambino and  Baba Maal but not 
from Gambia. The Boys can play back home very well and up to  standard., they 
do not record in good studios but they are better than 70% of  what I hear 
from Radio. The New Nigerian sound, the New Pussy cat mew-mew  sound effect 
that is in all new music is mostly because of lack of funding and  guidance in 
production. They are not coached. This was it with our football ,  they 
were not coached but if they are funded guided and coached the musicians  will 
deliever..

Music is understandable by every person that can  hear. Even children of 3 
years have their favorite songs from their Moms at an  early age. The human 
brain can identify with anything it recognise and  familiar with. If 
Gambians create a make-belief pull and propaganda that  Gambian music is best, they 
will be the first to embrace it. Gambian music is  far better than music 
from many parts of the world. We are civilized, have a  history and sensible.

If gambia musicians do not record in  sessions, much more music and perform 
much more in international festivals, TV  shows and making acting-movie 
cilps, they will not have the suitable  experience required to make a proper 
music record  career.

Gambians cannot produce a record of hig magnitude  caliba, well formed, 
well shaped and containing hook lines, transposing,  effects,etc. they did not 
evolve with technolog. A good record is 90% the Art  of scientific 
application. It is not what you do on stage that goes on record.  a record is 
produced in parts and in pieces before applying intensity and  sound petals for 
wider and more sophisticated ultra sound range. This is how  to make a hit and 
the hit will make the star.

The New Gambia  music has no name,
it is being form and being shaped. I know guys who are  doing very well but 
they cannot maintain it. Somethings you have to learn, The  Gambian music 
is not yet ripe or fit to be brought to the front. Some Gambia  artists 
should be financed to make good recording production in proper  studios. The home 
recordings are not durable and have no dept and width for  manupuilation.

What makes Youssou Ndour is the recordings not the  praises he get.

Music do not prosper under governments.  Governments do not study music as 
an ecomonic priority. Now tourism folding,  it is time to hire experts and 
use the musicians and festivals to create a new  tourism site in Gambia and 
get the world there. Gambia needs an event, a  seminar, music, conventions, 
music education, scholarships, and an  international travelling GAMBIAN All 
Star cast to tour the world.  

In today's Gambia there are no shows, no concert halls, no  recording 
studio, no music newspaper, no star, no charts, no charge tax for  visiting 
foreign artists, 70 % music on Gambia airwaves is non-Gambian.. No  money is 
coming to Gambian artists. they have families and they want to send  their kids 
to school and to the Doctor but the are no job, no initiative and  no future.

Jaliba is a miracle man to stay that long entertaining  us and upholding 
our pride. He sacrificed a lot.
Oko Drammeh
_www.Soto_ (http://www.soto/)   Koto.tv
http//_twitter.com/sotokotoband_ (http://twitter.com/sotokotoband) 
_www.facebook.com/OkoDrammeh_ (http://www.facebook.com/OkoDrammeh) 


On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 10:42 AM, suntou touray  <[log in to unmask] 
(mailto:[log in to unmask]) >  wrote:

_http://www.allgambian.net/NewsDetails.aspx?id=1398_ 
(http://www.allgambian.net/NewsDetails.aspx?id=1398)  Part  one 
 
 
_http://www.thegambiajournal.com/Top-News-and-Analyses/710.html_ 
(http://www.thegambiajournal.com/Top-News-and-Analyses/710.html)  part  two and the 
interview.
 
 
 
 



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