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

Mariam

Dec 10, 2010

Eid at Mam Njuli's house

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Gambia, CDATA, Cousin, Culture, Family, forward, Genealogy, Geography, Kinship and descent, Mariam, Political geography, The Gambia | 6 Comments
Eid in Gambia is very big. You go to the mosque for prayers and then stop by homes of relatives for a short visit. Here comes the biggie. Every time you go over to someone's house, they usually gift you with a generous amount of money we call "Salibo". When I was little, that was the only part of Eid I looked forward to and then I'd spend the money on stupid stuff.

On this very Eid, we went over to my paternal grandaunt's house Mam Njuli. She's my grandmother's younger sister. This was the day I realized the importance of naming children in my country. Almost all Muslim Parents in Gambia name at least one of their children after their own parents. My older sister Mariam was named after my father's mother.

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Dec 03, 2010

Daara J

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Africa, Africa, CDATA, Daara J, Geography, Mariam, Music, Senegal | 2 Comments
This song reminds me so much of my sister Mariam. She used to play it everyday and I find myself listening to it a lot these days. Daara J , one of Senegal's premiere rap groups are total geniuses. They fuse hiphop with African elements and do it very nicely.

The song is titled "Baayi Yonn" and it means "forsaking one's traditions". I can't translate the French bit (I speak horrible French lol) but the Wolof parts are very deep. It talks about the loss of a culture. How we've embraced lifestyles of other people and forgotten our rich heritage. The video does so much justice to this song.

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Oct 06, 2010

Memories

Posted by jatougaye | Tags: La Femme Noire, Mtv, YouTube, CDATA, Mariam, XML | 0 Comments
It was very difficult to run into me when i was in middle or high school. I hardly ever went out. My siblings were much more outgoing than I was. I was a couch potato and a book worm. I loved to read, I enjoyed cooking, I had no problem staying up late to watch tennis matches, I was obsessed with golf, I had zero interest in boys (all throughout high school) and I knew every single pop song on Mtv (that's not something I'm proud of hehe) but I was in my own world. I still am. I don't know if anybody really understood me but I was always very comfortable in my own skin and I'd have to thank my mother for that. She nurtured my many obsessions i.e "Postman Pat" & "Andy Pandy". I haven't seen them since childhood. Maybe I should Youtube them tonight.

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