In an earlier post a few years ago, I decried the erosion of our various Gambian cultural values and identities. It appears that phenomenon of self-immolation, is worse than it was then and getting increasingly worse as the years tick by.
Cultures are nations onto themselves and constitute the original meaning of what a nation means. The current arbitrary lines drawn by colonizers serve no other purpose than administrative convenience. Regardless, current national borders are our reality, unfortunately. The tragedy is that within that modern concept of a nation, the various cultures still exist but are busy trying to cancel each other off either wittingly or unwittingly, in a futile attempt at creating a “national identity.” A fool’s errand if you ask me. You would not find a sadder crisis of identity than that.
As Gambians, we are increasingly struggling to stand out and be identified as culturally unique in anything. When the national teams of the qualified countries showed up in Cote D’Ivoire for the ongoing African Nation’s Cup (AFCON) football (soccer) tournament all dressed in their cultural outfits, the whole continent celebrated with pride. Not surprisingly, it triggered a conversation on who copied whose style in the age old sibling rivalry between The Gambia and Senegal (two colonizer enacted countries peopled by the same cultures).
Although trivial on the face of it, a deeper look reveals a crisis of identity at a time when identity and pride in one’s heritage dominate political ideologies and movements around the world. Even the entertainment industry has recognized that fact and is working to incorporate various cultural viewpoints into film and entertainment, in the process celebrating the diversity of our world. The Marvel movie Black Panther set in fictional Wakanda showcased and celebrated African cultures leaving blacks everywhere feeling a sense of revived pride and renewed the embrace and celebration of their cultural heritage. You see, cultural values and one’s desire to preserve that is what patriotism is all about, not geography.
In our case, one does not need to look deeply or too closely to notice this crisis of identity unfolding. Our weddings are no longer recognizable. They have been completely stripped of their cultural rituals and turned into a farce. A farce because they fall short of the western traditions they seek to emulate after having cast out the traditional arrangements and rituals around such events.
For a people who used seasons and historical events as reference markers until very recently, meaning actual birthdays were not really known or marked, birthday celebrations have become a new phenomenon that has taken over society to the point that extended family members would burden their better positioned relatives with expenses just to throw a party for a kid, replete with inappropriateness and taken over by grown ups partying late into the night.
Language, often referred to as the repository of culture is dying in our society and we gleefully embrace its death to the point that speaking your language is seen as divisive because somebody interested in what you have to say does not understand your native tongue and would rather you use a foreign dialect (read English) and shun your own just so they can satisfy their curiosity.
But amid all that, we can still find some aspects of who we were still preserved in some institutions to a certain extent and that is hopeful. Well, not for long by the looks of it.
At a recent coronation of a traditional chief, I could not help but cringe at the appropriation of Nigerian culture witnessed through the adornment of red coral beads, a traditional Yoruba adornment. Suffice to say that in the various cultures present within The Gambia, the wearing of beads is reserved only for women, almost entirely.
Although these Yoruba beads have come to represent a fashion trend in modern times, they hold significant cultural value among the Yoruba who popularized it. Beyond their status symbol (traditionally worn by chiefs and influential people in Yoruba society), they are also believed to possess supernatural powers with the ability to protect the wearer by warding off evil spirits.
A common underlying belief amongst Africans is the belief in spirits (metaphysical beings). Africans are especially wary of evil spirits and they do their part to protect themselves from such malicious entities. Do not let their level of education or power fool you, Africans on average are overwhelmingly immersed in that belief. This is not unique to the Yoruba, however, the practice and rituals observed in attempts to ward off evil spirits varies from one ethnic group to another, and from one region to another in traditional African belief systems.
In The Gambia, we have similar beliefs and the wearing of talismans, amulets, or juju as they are more commonly called, are the means of protection from such evil spirits. Even adornments as simple as silver bracelets are more than mere jewelry, they serve a purpose related to the unseen.
This belief in spirits is engrained into the customs of all traditional institutions and traditional Gambian rulers “sayfolu” are outfitted with that in mind starting at their coronation, an event in and of itself serves as a case in point.
This is what makes it tragic. That in such a short span of time, we have made such huge leaps that our centuries old traditions are no longer appealing so much so that we shun them in favor of rituals and adornments from other African cultures effectively stripping our institutions of their significance and by extension sacrificing our cultural identities. Suffice it to say that our adoption of other cultures is never preceded by any foundational knowledge on the significance of cultural symbols and rituals.
One can argue that such trivial matters are just symbolic, and one is inclined to adopt that which is trendy. Nonetheless the chieftaincy is an important cultural institution that deserves preservation.
In the accompanying pictures are chiefs from three different eras of modern Gambia: colonial, post-independence, and the second republic. Sayfo Maama Tamba Jammeh (pictured above) is probably the most recognized name amongst traditional rulers and one of the longest serving from the colonial era to post independence. The trademark red hat is unmissable with its triangular adornment typical of a traditional ruler. Several of these triangular objects adorn a chief’s hat (some on the inside), with some having tiny mirrors attached. Encased in them are inscriptions meant to protect the chief and ward off evil. Around the chief’s neck would be another (either displayed or concealed), also specially crafted and containing other charms or set of charms all serving similar and wide ranging purposes.
The chief’s regalia had to be made out of traditionally woven cloth from locally grown and spun cotton. (see the black and white material on the back rest of his chair) this traditional outfit is called “fataro” and holds great significance not just for chiefs but for all. Babies are wrapped in them on their naming day, new initiates must cover their heads with them, so too is the case for new brides when they are accompanied to their matrimonial homes. At funerals, the coffin is draped in it to carry the deceased to their final resting place. So, the fataro is not just any ordinary cloth, it holds great significance in our culture.
Former paramount Chief Sayfo Demba Sanyang (pictured below) is seen fully regaled in a traditional chieftaincy outfit when he represented The Gambia in Nigeria. He was the most recent of the three pictured as he served under Jammeh. The third picture (above) is another familiar name, Sayfo Sanjally Bojang is similarly dressed in a somewhat modified version, but the red hat is never missing.
The hats were traditionally hand sewn and the amulet attached is usually prescribed by a trusted marabout (spiritual guardian) of the Sayfo. The Moroccan Fez hat that Sayfo Sanjally Bojang is wearing in the picture is sometimes a common substitute.
The institution of a ruler is a revered one and comes with a complete set of rituals, traditions, expectations, and norms. Unfortunately for us, we take no pride in anything whether historical or cultural even at the national level.
Our failures as a people are too numerous to list. A prominent feature of our independence celebrations was performances by The Gambia National Troupe, a musical group showcasing all our major ethnic groups with songs, performances, accompanied by the musical instruments of various ethnic groups. In fact, the troupe was a permanent feature of all major national events under first president Sir Dawda Jawara, that concept is dead and gone unfortunately.
The Gambia was a trendsetter in music, especially the genre known as Afro-Manding with music bands like Gelewar, Ifanbondi, Super Eagles etc. being sought after bands in the Senegambia region. Sadly, they have all receded into history and never replaced, we are only left with the Kumareh Band of Jaliba Kuyateh.
Another feature of unique Gambian culture that has been allowed to die out is wrestling (at a national level). Growing up, we had regular wrestling contests which were a highlight of our little town with wrestling teams travelling from various parts of the country to contest for a trophy. These contestants usually represented different ethnic groups; the Fulani had their wrestling champions, the Serer had theirs, the Jolas, the Mandinka, etc. At the national level. Some readers would be familiar with Aren Babun Fatty, which was a household name and a common venue where wrestling matches were held almost every weekend. I must add that Jolas had a prolific wrestling team and carried the most trophies. The ensuing trash talk highlighted another aspect of our culture, Sanawuya, which exists between the Jolas, Serers, and the Fulani. Wrestling as a national sports contest was a unique Gambian experience. It is not the same as the Senegalese modern-day wrestling style, which is rougher and more injury prone, but it dominates now and has the entire Gambian nation as a loyal audience.
These traditions should be preserved, and we should do all we can to make sure they remain unadulterated.
Unfortunately, for too many of us, we are uninformed and too opinionated. Simplistic world views such as calls to “kill the tribe for the nation to survive”, drive some to a mindless objection of everything that resembles ethnic identity thinking that is the only way to unify us when all it does is set us against each other.
No concept is a more potent tool to unite around and foster patriotism than shared cultural values. As nation state boundaries become more and more obscure, nations built around shared cultures persist.
Mankajang 