Cultural Festivals in Gambia

Cultural Festivals in Gambia

Gambia's Bob Marley Day:

Bob Marley Day is very popular in this Gambia. The day of his death, May 11 is called “Bob Marley Day” and is widely celebrated by the younger generation. You will see evidence of the Rasta tradition many places in The Gambia, both in proud sporting of red, black, green and yellow, as well as blaring reggae music from passing bush taxis. Some youths use the day to illegally smoke Ganja while others attend electrifying gigs staged around the Kombos.

In late 2005 a small delegation of Bob's family visited the country for a week to prepare the groundwork for the visit of the legend's mother at the International Roots Festival of the following year.

National Youth Festival & Conference

Background:
The National Youth Conference and Festival (known as NAYCONF) is a biennial event that brings the nation's youth together to discuss issues affecting their lives as well as their role in National Development. It was originally called The National Youth Week and only consisted of Sporting and Cultural programmes.
Such Youth Week celebration were first held in Banjul in 1974/1975, then in Basse, URD in 1975

With the adoption of the National Youth Policy, the event became a biennial one and consisted not only on sporting and Cultural Programmes but Youth Conference as well.

The Conference affords youths, through their accredited representations the opportunity to discuss ,matters of common interest vis-à-vis their role in National Development. The Youth forum serves as an authoritative source of information on the problems of Youth as seen by the Youths themselves.

The Youth Festival on other hand, engenders interaction amongst Youths inn a true spirit of oneness and love through the various sporting and cultural Programmes as well as participate in a community Service Project. Youth Participants from the zone two countries are also invited to take part in the Festival.

The Youth Conference and Festival was first held in Bakau, KSMD in 1990 followed by Janjanbureh' MID 1992 and Mansakonko, LRD 1994.

Programmes:
The week long event will feature a variety of sporting, cultural and intellectual programmes.
The opening will be marked by a spectacular parade of all youth delegates from different parts of the country, punctuated by cultural displays depicting the cultural forms that are most unique to each Division.

The second day will mark the official opening of the Youth Conference on the theme" Youth and the Challenges of the New Millenium". An Art and Craft s exhibition Portraying the talent of Gambian Youth in the Visual and plastic Arts across the country will be opened on the same day.

The rest of the days, will satisfy the sporting, theatrical and musical thirst of the youths through keen competitions.

The last day marking the closing ceremony of the Conference and Festival will witness the award prizes and certificates.

The Committee:
A National Committee was inaugurated in November 1998, by the then acting Secretary of State for Youth and sports, Captain (Retired) Yankuba Touray and charged with responsibility to co-ordinate of the week long event. The work of this Committee is complimented by that of various sub-committee whose task it is to address the financial, logistical and organizational implications of the event.

International Roots Festival

Website: www.rootsgambia.gm
Date: 30th May to 7 June, 2010
Introduction:
The biannual Roots International Festival of 2010 (formerly Homecoming) will be the 10th to be held in Gambia (the first held in May 1996). It commemorates the forced enslavement and shipment of millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribbean region. Africans and friends of Africa from the Diaspora are invited to attend and participate in the festival. It provides opportunities for atonement and reconciliation for those whose ancestors were engaged in slavery and the descendants of Africans forced into slavery. Its rich programme of events includes cultural performances from different ethnic groups, tours to historic sites such as Juffure & James Island, dance & drum workshops, carnival parades, symposia, trade fairs, traditional sporting events and religious services.

The Roots Secretariat:
The secretariat was created to facilitate, integrate and to culturally enrich Gambians and Pan Africans who travel from the Diaspora, to The Gambia exclusively, to reaffirm and reconnect with their Roots respectively. Roots Experiences, The main festival, concerts, merchandise and other Pan African Edutainment programmes are to be implemented by the secretariat throughout the year.


Wrestling in Gambia
Introduction:
Modern traditional wrestling is one of the oldest traditional sports in Gambia and wrestling festivals are a common occurrence. Leg locks are permitted but there are no patterned arm or head locks, or complicated points system. The object of the game is simply to throw one's opponent to the ground. The first wrestler down in the bout loses the contest.

The most common style of grappling is shown among the Mandinka, Fulas and Jolas. It involves each opponent grabbing each other's trunks at the start of the bout. After some strategic manoeuvrings each one would attempt to throw the other to the ground. Serers on the other hand prefer to go straight for the lets and render their opponent off-balance.

A wrestling match is part sport and part celebration with music. However, in Gambia it is more than just sport and entertainment. It is an important part of the traditional culture and is organised to reflect some of the most deeply rooted ideals of the societies that support it. The wrestling arena is a place to show courage, labour, strength, fair play; a place to honour the spirits of society.

Origins of Traditional Wrestling:
Gambian wrestling seems to have evolved as a modified version of real combat techniques. Traditional warriors defeated their opponents by throwing them to the ground with great force, preferably on their head. Over time this kind of warfare developed into the non-violent form of sport it is today.

The warrior was an honoured figure in Gambian society and the social position of a wrestler in the community became analogous to that of a warrior from times past. Traditionally, all the boys in a village were taught how to wrestle. The ones that showed skill and promise were held in high regard as a man regardless of class. Many of the most famous Gambian chiefs such as Sader Manneh of Kuntaur, Cherno Bande of Fuladu West and Moriba Krubally of Georgetown had previously been talented wrestlers in their youth. Even a slave could gain greater prestige, respect and adoration than most freemen could only wish for.

The Kafo & Village Wrestling:
Within every Mandinka village, and to a lesser extent in the Wollof, Serer and Jola villages, young men and women were divided into age groups called Kafo. They carried out community projects and organised social events. The Kambane Kafo comprised of young men aged between 18 and 25 years. Traditionally, the finest grapplers came from this age group.

Larger villages were often divided into wards and within each village wrestling matches were often organised between Kafo of different wards. However, no matter how many Kafo a village had, they all joined together to issue collective challenges to the Kafo of neighbouring villages, and met them in the wrestling arena as a unified group. The performance of the Kafo reflected on the rest of the village.

Inter-village wrestling matches most often took place in the dry season after the harvest. This is because people had more leisure time and the Kafo had enough food from their communal farm to feed large numbers of crowds. The challenging village was responsible for providing nourishment for their opponents.

A wrestler's host was a very important part for the continued good relations between villages. The host was the spokesperson and go-between for the visitors with the rest of the community.

Spiritual Power:
Successful wrestlers are believed to possess a superior gift of spiritual strength, which the Mandingo call Nyamo. Before matches he will spend a lot of time putting on his amulets after keeping them warm over small bonfires lit in the corner of the arena. This is part of the Gambia's animist beliefs.