The state is an enabler Farang, not the doer..Duh..You Sanyang kunda folks. In a poor country, the state develop the landscape for artist and creative minded people to operate..This is why, we have institutions and higher places of learning. Give people the proper tool to bring their talent out. Without enabling environment, people don't grow. Why wasn't the Infanbondi's patronised like the Yousour Ndurs during our national days. Farang, since you have swallowed a little more Bendachin than me, can you recall the promos for visiting Senegalese artist by the Mass Axy Gaye's, and his promos of Gambian musicians on radio...Hence, we killed our own artist.

Suntou

On Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 11:44 PM, Ifang Bondi <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Musical success is a personal achievement, not a state sponsored fluke. 

Governments of neighbouring equally poor countries were/are not supportive either. The music scene has always relied on the private sector.

Sekou Toure was extremely tribalist in his support of music, at the expense of non-Malinke, especially Peul artists, most of whom had to flee Guinea.

Youssou Ndour, Thione Seck, Salif Keita etc., all of them had to hustle for years before getting where they are now.

As a matter fact the Super Eagles/Ifang Bondi were doing very well in Senegal. The Senegalese loved and supported us even more than their own bands. 

If Gambians have forgotten about me, that is their problem. And they definitely did not kill my spirit! 

Good music always finds its audience. As long as I am able to make a living - without selling my soul - it proves I am delivering the goods.

Every generation favours their own music - with the current YT/FB generation it happens to be mainly global urban sounds.

But no matter what style, in the end quality counts. Lousy rappers with lousy rhymes and lousy beats are bound to be losers.

I gladly take on any musical challenge including rap - it is perfectly possible to create an authentic African urban style using African rhythms/scales, just as Pakistani/Mongolians/South Americans etc. do with their own local music. 

But finding young Gambian musicians able to meet professional standards is a different story. 

 

 

On 13 March 2014 15:05, suntou touray <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Uncle Badou, you couldn't have said it any better. But I do belief, the government in the 1970s could have created an enabling environment for genuine talents to grow. In Senegal and Guinea, this was the case, the Malian singers benefited whilst in the Gambia, the key players were attempting to learn French during the confederation. They forgot about people like you, who could have establish a brand that can be emulated, but instead, they kill the spirit of authentic Gambian talents.

 The inferiority complex of Gambian influential men and women meant, they never promote anything Gambian, be they writers, singers, poet etc...we always look to outside. The crazy Reggae music, etc, all meant, what is Gambian is forgotten. I wonder if this was by design or lack of self-love and consciousness. The damage done to our mentality in the 1970s and 1980s is unbelievable, whilst the present is indescribable. Senegal is profiting from all that we lost, and we want them to help us!!! The number of NGOs in Senegal is phenomenal, who will want to share that privileges?

Thione Seck got a great voice, however, he is after his interest and patrons, likewise many young Gambian singers. I hope you can still play a role in shaping the future.

Thanks

Suntou

On Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 12:57 PM, Ifang Bondi <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

How can we create genuine artist, genuine musicians...

Talking from a perspective of being a veteran genuine musician, the environment is not very conducive for a conscious artist.

I have been publicly - on national radio - lambasted by the Gambian music community itself. 

That  prompted to leave a comment (see below) on the Facebook of the Musigam, the Musicians' Union of The Gambia.

None of these genuine hopefuls bothers to react. 

There was once also a post on the Bantaba.gambia.dk about these vocal Gambian online sites themselves endorsing Thione Seck with big advertisements for his US concerts, aimed at the expat community. Very likely he got the Gambian expats ecstatic with his song Gambian People.

MUSIGAM https://www.facebook.com/musicunionofthegambia 

STOP DEMONIZING THE 70'S MUSICIANS

Herewith I am addressing the Representatives of the Music Union of The Gambia, Musigam.

On your Music Union of The Gambia Representatives Radio Tour - on the Musigam's soundcloud page - the music scene in The Gambia is discussed.

During this public discussion I, Badou Jobe, am personally blamed for the current dismal situation of the Gambian music scene:

"(..) the elders who have been here before previously, Badou Jobe, Pa Touray, PaNjie, Senami, Laba Sosseh whoever, that was their mistake, they did not create that foundation for themselves and maybe for the future coming"

A similar personal accusation was voiced by Musigam board member mr. Wisdom in his FB post of 16 February 2014:

"The fact that your music is free to rip off is partly your fault,those that came before us never did much to set the structures concerned in place out here in Gambia"

Out of resentment, frustration about your own incompetence, lack of inspiration or whatever, you the young generation are demonizing us the 70's musicians, making us the scapegoat for your professional tribulations.

The untold truth is quite different: 

In de 70's we, the incriminated musicians, gave up a pop star status as Super Eagles for our vision of an African music renaissance, reflecting our anti-colonial Pan-African principles.

We - Pa Touray and I - deliberately disbanded Super Eagles in order to return to our roots.

We spent years - and virtually all our savings - researching our cultural heritage, fast fading away under the onslaught of Western music.

After which it took another battle to win over our former fans to our new concept of the Afro Manding sound with our new name of Ifang Bondi.

With the AfroManding sound we are proud to have created a truly African music, now - except in The Gambia itself - one of West Africa's leading music styles.

Unlike the current self-serving mentality of Gambian musicians, we have always been very conscious and committed to the social struggle.

True to our name we addressed social issues and wrongs, speaking up for the people.

Ifang Bondi arguably have done more for The Gambia than anyone, including nationwide benefit tours to sponsor rural schools and dispensaries.

Compared to today, there was virtually nothing in the 70's: 

no public facilities, no proper venues, no million-D presidential dole-outs, no TV, least of all social media, no studios, no telephone, no electricity or tarred roads outside the urban area. 

Unlike the current music community demanding to be pampered by the state like babies, we of Ifang Bondi formed our own company, completely independent of the state.

We invested our own money to create conditions and facilities - acquiring complete PA system, generators and related transport, training musicians and technicians, touring internationally, organizing festivals, providing fellow bands with instruments. 

Only to be sabotaged, boycotted and finally completely ruined by the then regime, until we had no other choice than either give up or leave the country to pursue our career elsewhere. Old Ifang Bondi tapes in the GRTS archives, marked "banned", "don't play this song" etc. testify of this…

Abroad - almost single-handedly - I continued to promote the Ifang Bondi concept - writing and recording music, training musicians (some 50 altogether), organizing international tours, recruiting talented young Gambians, for many of whom Ifang Bondi has served as a springboard for an international career. 

When I got the Kora Award as best composer-arranger - an accolade shared with the likes of Boncana Maiga and Wally Badarou - kudos came from all over: international media including BBC, RFI, WRD, fellow musicians, especially from Senegal - the event being televised to a 300 million global audience. 

BUT TOTAL SILENCE FROM THE GAMBIA... 

In1996 I submitted an urgent Open Letter to the Government and the National Assembly - published in all newspapers and broadcast over the radio - with practical and viable proposals for the enhancement of the cultural sector, including implementation of long overdue copyright legislation.

I urged fellow artists to endorse my Open Letter. 

RESULT: TOTAL SILENCE FROM ARTISTS AND AUTHORITIES ALIKE. 

Adding to your slander you Musigam resent that our glory was not passed on to you, the new generation.

"We all talk about the glory days from back in the day but all - with due respect to the elders - that supposed glory was certainly not passed on to us as the new generation"

This reflects your preposterous view of being a music professional.

You expect to get all facilities and emoluments for free, getting served hand and foot without prove of professional skills or efforts. 

You even expect "glory" to be included in the package.

How can glory be passed on in the first place??? 

Glory is an immaterial strictly personal achievement - mainly the result of extraordinary efforts.

So, out of frustration about being denied our "glory", you do the next best thing: ripping off our music. 

I like to challenge you MUSIGAM whether you yourselves

- would sacrifice star status for a vision of an African cultural renaissance…

- ever challenged the wrath of a 10,000 audience, getting physically stoned for a revolutionary concept …

- have ever been hit by a government ban for exposing the inconvenient truth….

- have ever been wrecked by a government boycott for being more popular than the president…

- would have the courage, stamina and the musical qualities to start from scratch abroad...

- will be remembered internationally for your achievements 50 years on…

And finally I like to challenge you whether you yourselves 

would accept being publicly defamed and ripped off by a bunch of arrogant nasaax "musicians"!

Bottom line:

Nowhere in the whole wide world musical careers and professional status are prefab handed out by governments.

Instead, you Gambian wannabe musicians have to learn that you need to work yourselves to the bone to get a career and eke a subsistence out of it.

5000 likes feed your ego big time, 150 paid gigs a year feed your family - just.

Nor is glory and talent to be inherited from us, the older generation of musicians.

What you DID inherit from us was inspiration for hard work and dedication, and a great comprehensive musical concept, but you chose to squander that inheritance!

AS TO ME BADOU JOBE, I PAID MY DUES AS A MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER, AND PROUD NOT TO OWE ANYONE!

[Curious how fast the Musigam administration is going to delete this piece of inconvenient truth LOL]

On 13 March 2014 10:49, suntou touray <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

http://www.kaironews.com/editorial/of-dictators-and-beautiful-divas/

We had a panel discussion on kairo radio, on why Gambian singers ignore the dictatorial climate and continue to sing their heart's out for President Jammeh. Money is their singular motivation. The Senegalese singers have no interest in getting involve in Gambian domestic politics. In actual fact, the PPP big wigs made us abandon our Gambian talents since the 1970's for Senegalese singers, from our Independence bash to all major entertainment. Yahya Jammeh only uses all musicians to brush his bad name..From Jaliba Kuyateh, to Jalex, Singhatehrise, and the rest of the new breed of Gambian rappers and singers. If our own Gambians are praising the killer, why not Senegalese, Guniean, Malian, Ivorian etc? He pays millions for being praised. Thion Secke is among a list of many singers in Senegal rushing to get to Kanilai..Djibi Drame, among others...Even in Senegal, protest singers are in the rear minority...In Ivory Coast, Tiken Fakoly rose up to sing protest song, whilst Alpha Blonde was neutral, Aicha Kone, was just like our Fatou Camara's pretend they knew nothing...How can we create genuine artist, genuine musicians...

SUntou

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