True Ease in Writing comes from Art, not Chance, As those move easiest who have learned to dance. - Alexander Pope

Senegal

Suñu Waxtaaneh Juboo: The Case for a Free Press in Gambia

By Amran Gaye in Essays, Dakar, Gambia, Senegal, Business, Earth, Economic Community of West African States, Edward Francis Small, Entertainment, Free Press, Human Interest, International relations, Mariama, the, Perfection, Political geography, President, reporter, Republics, The Gambia

 

ñu ni nee na / ñu ni nee na

ñore bokk rewe mi 

ñu ni nee na / ñu ni nee na
neh ñu yaatal geew bi
 
ootay man ta ñakk naam
y su ñu Waxtaaneh juboo…
 
Yaatal Gueew, Pape & Cheikh
 
 
 
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In May 1922, in Dakar, Edward Francis Small published the first issue of the *The Gambia Outlook and Senegambian Reporter*. This was after the so-called Balanghar incident, when Small had gotten into a physical altercation with a colleague, costing him his job. Small’s criticism of government policies at this point had already put him on the wrong side of the colonial administrators.

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Travelogue

By Amran Gaye in Culture, Dubai, Africa, Senegal, Person Relation, Album, cellular telephone, Dubai, electronics, Film, Film noir, Films, food, forward, iPhone, Kanye West, Major, Serign Touba, Suddenly, Technology, trader

 

Recently I had the chance to do a transit in both Dubai and Senegal on my way home, and spend time in places of waiting in both countries. In Dubai I couldn't leave the airport, a place built for just such an eventuality, a sealed-off World filled with everything a transit passenger might need: numerous bathrooms, prayer rooms, food courts, a smoking room, lots of chairs everywhere (though, sadly, no beds), movement maps and info displays, stores selling everything from perfume to electronics. In Senegal I did not spend much time at the airport; yet getting off the plane, something subtly changed my mood - was it the weather? the people? the language I could now fully understand? perhaps a combination of the above, making me feel once more like an African in Africa...

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Apr 27, 2012

Red Black Nonsense - Yeup Chi Pet

Posted by lat | Tags: Lat's Thoughts , Essays, Senegal, artist, Business, Compactification, End, Entertainment, General topology, Human Interest, paint, Technology, Tiowli Tiowli | 0 Comments

After a crazy week of gay debates on the Balafong forum, relationship debates started full swing as it must be said that love and romance are topics very much appreciated by the average Homo-Sapien. Our hunger for love is one which is borne from the moment we enter this world head first to the strength of our mothers’ push. However, the topics ironically were more a war of words between both genders finding fault in each other for what happens to be a current situation of “marriage crises” which is not unique to the smiling coast. In fact, Senegalese TV very recently held a series of debates on the issue, one of which on the famous TV show Tiowli Tiowli (pronounce chowli chowli – seemingly a combination of two Chinese surnames) spoke of an issue not foreign to our ears in The Gambia; the topic focused on the infidelity of married men and the corruption of young female minds.

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Location

By Khadijah Aja Tambajang in Culture, Fiction, Dakar, Muridiyya, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Person Attributes, Damaso, food, founder, Italian island, Mama, Social Issues, Technology

 

Lampedusa Early August 2010.

Damaso pulled away from his mother’s clutches, and ran towards a shaggy little doll that would later be labeled ‘fetish’ by Marian, his Italian grandmother. The shaggy doll rolled over his tiny toes as they touched the edge of the waves that washed the doll ashore, scaring and mesmerizing him simultaneously. He withdrew his toes from underneath the foreign object, stepped back and carefully eyed it before deciding to pick it up for further investigation.

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Apr 24, 2011

World Malaria Day

Posted by imedicnomad | Tags: iMedicNomad, Opinion, The Global Fund, The Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Africa, Senegal, Person Career, African Malaria Network Trust, Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Biology, Business, Executive Director, forward, Global health, Health, Health Minister, Malaria, Malaria No More, Medicine, Private, professor, Social Issues, Technology, United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, World Health Organization | 0 Comments

*I was planning to write an article about it, but this lady summed it up more eloquently than I ever could. She is the Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and Former Health Minister of Senegal, Professor Awa Marie Coll-Seck. Here is her statement commemorating World Malaria Day*

A decade ago, far from public outcry or front-page headlines, malaria was killing 3,000 people every day, mainly African women and children. Few of the over 3 billion people at risk had access to mosquito nets or effective malaria drugs. Chloroquine, the main malaria drug, had become ineffective against malaria's deadliest strain, and the pipeline for new drugs, vaccines and other tools to control malaria was virtually empty.

(Today) April 25th is World Malaria Day. It is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of the last decade, since the moment when advocacy efforts shifted malaria from a neglected disease to global health priority.

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Jan 19, 2011

Sun Sooley

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Dakar, Senegal, Person Attributes, Africa, artist, CDATA, Dakar, Geography, Jules Souleymane Ba, Senegal, XML | 4 Comments
 

I have to admit I have never heard reggae sung in Wolof so this was quite refreshing. Sun Sooley born Jules Souleymane Ba ( Dakar , February 1st 1973 ) is a reggae artist who hails from Senegal. I really like him and I've also watched a video of him performing live. He's got a lot of energy and awesome stage presence. Galsen chi kanam!

Jan 07, 2011

Secka & Royal Band de Thiès - Samba Alar

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Dakar, Senegal, Person Career, Adama Seck, CDATA, Dakar, Dakar Region, French West Africa, Geography, Seck, Senegal, singer, Thiès, Thiès Region | 4 Comments
The Royal Band de Thiès, led by Adama Seck alias Secka, are quite well known in Senegal but never made it to international fame nor to an international release. Little information is available on them. They were around since the 1980s at least, and singer Adama Seck with his expressive soulful voice has been leading the band since that time.
 
Hailing from Thiès, the second city of the country with more than 300,000 inhabitants, located around 70 kms East of Dakar, the Royal Band frequently performed and recorded in Club Sangomar in Thiès. Several cassettes have been released, and a couple of older songs can be heard on CD on the Dakar Sound label.
Samba Alar is a classic. One of my favorites.

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Dec 19, 2010

Orchestra Baobab - Nijaay

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Entertainment, Dakar, El Hadji Faye, Youssou, Senegal, Baobab Club, Africa, Business, Geography, Issa Cissokho, Music, Music of Senegal, Orchestra Baobab, Rudy Gomis, saxophonist | 2 Comments

Spending my night listening to old songs from Senegal.
 
Orchestra Baobab is a Senegalese Afro-Cuban and Pachanga band formed in 1970.

Many of the original members were veterans of the famous Star Band, whose alumni later included the Étoile de Dakar, El Hadji Faye and Youssou N’Dour.

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Dec 10, 2010

Senegalese Dancers....I heart!

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Entertainment, YouTube, Senegal, Africa, CDATA, Dakar, Dour, French language, Geography, N'Dour, Senegal, Youssou N'Dour, Youssou N'dour | 0 Comments
Somebody take me to Senegal!! haha Land of  great dancers. This clip is fairly new. It was put up on YouTube about a week ago and features 3 male dancers grooving to Youssou N'dour's Ndakaru. You know I love
 
P.S The 3.35 min mark to the end is beautiful. They all dance together.
 

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