A night with Gambian griots, by Oko Drammeh

Jaliba Kuyateh live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsV3Im0Z75g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVU6ghd7r1A&feature=related

Mbaling Cham, those who love the limelight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJb1u6o6CzY&feature=share

Why Some Gambians refuse to take part in Politics

Together it can be done. Sometimes, you speak with brothers, their excuse of not involving in politics is religious, some fear, some they can't be bothered , many God will do it for us. Hence, the bigger blame lies with us all.
There cannot be a conducive religious environment without a stable political establishment. Hence, Islam, Christianity all work towards controlling the politics before growing. Now we can have a secular state, yet religion still plays serious part in a stable democratic country. Why are we in the West? Stability helps every single stakeholder group. Let us stop hiding from reality.

Criticising Gambian Opposition and The lack of active involvement. Falaye 2

A week is a long time in politics and talking about unity, Falaye is aware of things happening under his nose, hence zip it on that. We have enough weekly Tele conference with every serious UDP member in Diaspora every Saturday for two to three hours.Whoever have a serious issue to discuss, the platform is there adequately.
However, you don't have to claim you are PDOIS or APRC. I understand some can sit tightly on the fence and wish for a level playing field devoid of harassment, human rights abuses, equal access to TV, Radio and a free press etc without being part of any political group. This is possible and I know brothers who are working toward such goal. I have attended demos with some of this folks.However, you cannot curtail any discussion here or any where in the cyber space.
Referring to Rambo's conduct can include all those who did what he just copy.

His predecessors are many and there will be others. It is the reality of dictatorship.This is prevalent in Sudan, Algeria, Syria, The South Americas and Africa. Even in Europe people cross carpet, however, for those, they do it with good intentions, not knowingly join a criminal organisation that at best operate a shadow government. Sulayman Darboe, Mr Sambou and some others are perfect examples of bad apples who can't stand the heat. Falaye on the hand is destructive and countering the efforts of his so-call party. If he is not satisfy with the party's choice of candidate, doesn't he know what he should have done?
Genuine Democrat who oppose Obama during the primaries rally round him after his selection. You try to work out things inside your camp. Do I think that, you will find any problem with his double standard misninforation, I don't think so.
There is no need to create a false myriad. Falaye should air his grievances directly to the UDP executives, UDP able youth leaders, MPs, Yayai Compins, etc. He may influence things through that.I careless what you have to say about the UDP. I have no problem with the criticism of those who are not calling themselves UDP members. But you don't build a house and slowly start setting fire to it. I have listened to Falaye on a couple of occasion, sometimes I thought Pa doesn't have any other independent voice to speak with about the UDP instead of the duo who are seriously disconnected with current affairs of the party. No wonder Sedia and Halifa said, we "youths in Diaspora know nothing about the situations on the ground." Their assertions that, we criticise them without lending any form of support is true.

Obama raises his campaign funds from ordinary people and donors. Who is donating to counter the Yahya Jammeh free bank? How many Gambians will decline a D50,000 when offered on political grounds? Come on, who will? Let alone when the amount is in hundreds of thousand.Now, we in the opposition don't have any such money, but we can at least fuel our vehicles, visit supporters country wide, attend their ceremonies, talk to them. This is the slow process that can counter Yahya.
Gambians are not militant in a serious way. Calling for mass demonstration is a far fetch idea. Let us speak with the opposition leaders, encourage them to visit voters, donate to PDOIS, UDP, NRP. The easy blame game is only absolving us of involvement, yet when folks who spend their own resources, sacrifice it all for change commence to be corrupt we renew another line of attack.Gambians can't have their cake and eat. Ghana, Nigeria have companies now that can do the Europe-America political donations, we don't. South African has businesses that donate heavily to political parties, we don't. The few individual donations are not enough to counter Jammeh's long hands. We all see him shamelessly handing raw cash on TV.
Is this kind of politics new? Hell no. PPP big wigs use to do it, Jammeh took it to a higher level, with maximum exposure. Then it use to be bags of rice, few hundreds. Let us continue blaming the opposition, it will bring miracles. Yes, they need to be reminded of the urgency we are all facing. But what is your part in it. You don't even have to back any opposition by name, just scramble for votes for them in your own way.
The military are enjoying for now. Can we depend on them to rid us of Yahya, it is a wait and see. How of them do we have with us in Diaspora and how many have we ever heard making plans to do the revolution for us? God is our saving grace, He is always with us, and in Him let us depend and do our quorter. Thanks

Calling the Gambian Oppositions as Dead and Falaye Baldeh attacks 1

I thought each of the opposition parties and the ruling APRC has witness cross carpeters over the years. Hence Badou is miss informed on his party's cross carpeted folks. I can recall Sulayman Darboe, a young candidate for PDOIS who rented in our home and then deflected to APRC, One Mr Sambou who left PDOIS even went on to reveal Halifa's eating habits. Rambo with all due respect was chosen as the youth leader as a gesture to his suffering and the outward potentials he demonstrated.
The party was alerted by a good member in Bakau on Rambo's shortermism agenda. He was monitored and sidelined. Our Youth leaders have toured the country twice without him.He never toured with the youth leaders, hence we were prepared for his actions.It is sad to see his short term ambitions get ahead of his sound reasoning. However, Rambo whatever compel him to join the slow killer of sick HIV victims, shall surface clearly later. This brings me to the frequent chat on Freedom radio by a guys call Falaye Baldeh. This man is calling himself a UDP supporter whilst he knows he is not. His assume commentator title on Gambian politics is fair game but let him be honest and call him what he is.Serious supporters of UDP advise the party through the internal mechanism.
Falaye will not divulge on his marital woes in the open, he will not relate his short coming in the opening, why does he think calling himself a UDP supporter and never hesitating to say rubbish will do?If he is so militant, what stops him traveling to Gambia, mobilising the supporters and youths and face Jammeh? What money does the opposition have that Falaye is talking about? We know who is pushing him with the pretentious blah blah.
Politics like all human relations goes through ups and downs, but to hide behind friendly lines whilst being an enemy is the lowest case of evil manifestation. He is entitled to his opinion, but please let him speak as non-UDP supporter, so that, his criticism will make sense, instead of taking serious listeners for a fool. He has left trails and his associate have also left trails. When did Falaye extended his hand of support to the UDP?When did Falaye wrote or spoke to the Executives on his worries and suggestions? If Falaye thinks that our opposition should invite Jammeh to a street fight, I will expect him to travel and join in the preparation of such a move. The oppositions can do with the support, encouragement, criticism and presence of all those calling them dead. What have you done to enliven the dead oppositions?
What suggestions have you demonstrated to tackle the dictator with a gun, tank and foreigners ready to kill for him and escape to the other side?Instead of crying Woolf, be constructive, join the line, fight. How much money did Obama get and spent to get to the White House? You are unwilling to act and yet quick to blame.
How much support did Ouattara get financially to move around Ivory Coast? People were ready to spend to make them travel. Going on the streets on Banjul, Serrekunda can make a difference, but politically, how do you expect the opposition to fund their campaigns well before elections. Western Democracies have state funding, yet we want democracy but not with our direct involvement. Your advise is as good as your loyalty and dedication to assist, then you can blame. Falaye is pretending on the Freedom radio. His crocodile tears makes no sense.
The UDP allows, encourage constructive criticism by its members, channel through the party hierarchy. If the likes of Falaye are not helping strengthen the base of the oppositions, that have no access to the radio, Television, money, and hardly any editor will publish critical comments about the regime, what help do such an opposition require? Gambia is not the property of any opposition politician, hence those unhappy are welcome to form their warrior party and lead the charge, hopefully, our hunt for martyrs will happily come to pass. In Tunis, people were ready to act, they didn't just sit in far places enjoying the niceties and continue saying things, they went out. With or without the opposition, it is a fact that, people can act.
What are Gambians waiting for? You can be the martyr if you chose, we will happily inscribe you on our chest. Come out guys!!! This is not to say, their are no rooms for improvement, however, do your quoter as well. Everyone needs some form of encouragement in dealing with difficult political climate. Partisans will obvious be critical of each other, but members within the same party require a civilise constructive internal process of dealing with grievances not the Judaising form of retributions. What our tongues twist, our hearts manifest.

Looking After No 1

Toiling all day in sweat and fatigue
Awaken candle lit desk
Pursuing greater things
Hard at it then I pass!
Journeying in the mood for progress
Certainty prevail in acquiring the requisite qualifications

No 1 became ready for jobs, titles, power and fame
life is good!
I gaze to the left, and then right
Why left first? Who cares
I saw a multiple sad faces, looking tired and unable
Some vision anger, others fear intense
Insecurity abound all over

I have just arrived, I muttered
Searching for better prospects from anyone or anywhere
Then i see a few collected guys, happy!!!
Unperturbed by the tense surroundings
In their hands, I saw good jobs, multiple wives and beautiful at that!
Cars, decent houses mortgaged and a bit on the side for the weekend
You know what I mean
I acknowledged them
Yeah, looking after No.1 is good
Indeed I have arrive under the armpit of the tyrant's garden

Gambian Justice Minister Threaten Critics abroad

http://dailynews.gm/africa/gambia/article/justice-minister-warns-gambians-abroad-of-backlash-for-denigration

Edu Gomez decry the criticism of diaspora Gambians and lashed out with a threat. He said, "When they return, they will be waiting for them". His threats is meant to scare off unfriendly comments against the dictatorship. His comments included some West Minster MPs for tabling an early day motion against the human rights abuses of the Jammeh government.

The Gambia, An Open University

By Suntou Touray
The metaphors of our times are manifested in lurid sketchy details imprinted all over the interactive cyber phenomenon. Heroes, genius and villains are all identified with Hollywood precision plots. Having watched a lecture delivered by an American convert, Shuwaib Webb some years ago. He dramatically engaged the audience with the question “how do they think they will be remembered after their death”? The video link of the lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyn5ItzahCM&feature=related
This is serious stuff considering the evidences that, most of us deceive ourselves with youth and would rather not contemplated death let alone how we will be remembered in the final analysis. Examining our respective legacies hardly cross the thought processes.
How will you be remembered by your wife, husband, children and close contacts? Think about that for a minute.
The Gambia lies in a state of helplessness and little hope. The propensity for a Gambian to become a bedding partner with Yahya Jammeh is so odds on favourite that, ambitious individualist would go wobbly before the big man make a wink at them. To be or not to be is actually a nagging of a few harden individuals.
What is the way out of our self deprivation and endless misrepresentation of each other’s views? The story here is my personal observation. I know it is bias just like yours is, however, it is only fair that, I state mine.
In our delicate political climate where heroes are quick to dug and hide for cover, the utilisation of pen names, anonymous real names wet our appetite for heated exchanges. Lang Minteh, Musa Saw, Hassan Babou etc can all be an identifiable Gambian names. Yet who are these people emerging, faceless trying hard to be taken for granted with their serious political solutions? Try speculating who Musa Bitaye is, before you know, one percentage of Bakau will become a suspect. The fact is, this is what dictatorship breed: Fear to be known and eventually identified.
The disheartening outcome of anonymity or facelessness in exchanging serious views contributes to unearthing bitterness within our community. Issues easily becomes polarised, sadistic inert facts of nature emerge misleading even the intelligent observers.
It is a good thing to see regular constellation of ideas, however when those very same ideas are catalogue for vendettas and the promotion of miniscule elites, justifiable views get wind tight. It’s undisputable that, the Gambia today is so different; no one can claim ownership over scholarship and deep thinking. Symposium use to consume the minds of impressionable youths to the extent that, decades of aftershocks kept resurfacing.
Politics is a game of blood and sweat, few friends with lots of callous misleading tricks. The purported saint is in fact the biggest devil. Watch and see the lessons from great crowd movers, they end up getting away with mass murder with little or no public reactions. Take Bill Clinton for instance. His role in the 500, 000 Iraqi children death through sanctions of the country which blocks medicine and vital vitamins. Who blames Clinton today?
In our case as a matter of focus; few individuals have dominated the thought processes of some few fellow countrymen/women. This influence has lead to serious infatuations with everything uttered by those few. Whether they say the truth or otherwise are still the same to these individuals. Hardly any Gambian matters in distilling political jargons. What this few men say is gospel. To some they are the musketeers that are embellished by idiots and bigots.
Hang on a minute, but the last time evidence proofs, these men are in fact politicians. The strange phenomenon of a dictatorship is that, since the atmosphere of fear is wide spread, strategic alliances in ending the big evil becomes a major battle ground. The art of distortions and inaccuracies peddled by an ideological under current mixed with dogmatic propaganda is the major stumbling block in unifying fragile hearts.
Academic political discourse took roots in the Gambia since the 1980s. Impressionable minds were eager to mimic and imitate the good words of their scholars. Mastering the statistics of the country’s revenues and problems are core ingredients in this dynamic new politics. Fascination and complete loyalty to the propellers of the game replace religion to some. It’s a breath of fresh air, especially with the cult personality, delay matrimonies, simple attires, modest living germinating into unthinkable reasons for objecting to these respected figures. Only ignoramuses will object to their lectures.
The Gambia’s acquiring an unofficial Open University status was besmirched without any formal protocol. A news paper and frequent visitations to schools was all that is needed. Five yearly party political campaigns also contribute to the disseminations of the academic political message.
Farmers are bombarded with the prices of their harvest, low level economic analytical methods are utilised to reasonably put forward the way our fishing industry can have a multiplier effect on the rest of economy. Polemic signature writing dominates their ultimate engagement. And the effect it has on those hungry for intelligent conversation is immeasurable. The whole epoch became a thing of who has the best ideas and a dramatic vocal cord.
Everything around us is politicised, whilst some serious scholar inadvertently opined that “...true knowledge is fundamentally non-political and that conversely, political knowledge is not true knowledge” since political banter obscure reality toward self-promotion and cockiness. The academicians lament that, the reason our politics is where it is today is to do with elitism, patronage, tribe and illiteracy are the obstacle to genuine democracy and real freedom. To end this epoch, a plan for the emancipation of hearts and mind became sacrosanct.
The Open University targets every single citizen of the Gambia and it is free. The lectures are in many faced: subliminal, direct bombardment in media, lectures, high school visitations and the writing of academic papers. The reality is Gambians didn’t realise that, there is a lecture taking place let alone them being enrol in a University without their knowledge. Hence, the proof of the lecturing bearing fruition is not through exams, but votes. The proof have been disappointing for the lecturers, the students weren’t paying attention. They still dance to the ‘bukarabo’, ‘sewruba’, ‘tama’ or ‘junjun’. They still follow the flamboyance of showmanship and stylish lavish candidates. In fact, the lecturers hardly matters to the people.
Why?
Culture according to Edward Said “...is the best that is thought and known and everyone sees themselves, their people, society and tradition in the best light.” “...Culture blocks other narratives from forming and emerging...”. Hence the Open University lecturers misjudge the reaction of their ignorant masses. No one wants to be dictated to or presume ignorant, especially with silent sound bites.
Today is an age where perception is all and usually transcended my words. The fans and keen followers of the lecturers bitterly comment loudly: Their sacrifices had wrought them anything from this self-hating citizens.
Is it an utmost Gambian hallmark to be embittered by their saviours? Why are the lecturers who demand nothing not embraced with open arms? That is for you think about. However, what has emerged thought against us who commence the critic of the Open University formula and its lecturers are that, they became angered by the deep penetrating scrutiny.
I guess, it just downed on them that, maintaining Candour and a cool composure is hard to even simpleton down to earthers. Lecturing a whole country is a noble task, but how should this be conducted? A role reverse is necessary once in a while. It is the expert habit of the lecturers to scrutinise others very often.
Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other, according to (Oscar Ameringer).
However, what if one is dealing/acting in African politics, where the mass populace lack the basic necessities of life? Can you stand on the outside and teach those who only respect power? You will have to perform miracles to catch their attention. This is why, it is imperative, weaker political parties join those with more strength to work together in slowly changing the status quo. Lecturing alone will do nothing.
We cannot get noticed by being the same, therefore, let the Open University lecturers do certain things they wouldn’t approve of in normal circumstances, this way, their standing and reputation will precede them all over the place.
The dangers of lingering in the game for long are creating a state of, ‘we have heard it all before’, and the rise of new challengers to the intellectual throne. The dithering and puritanical approach will embitter the ordinary observer even more. My camp is not claiming any ownership to academic politics, or relevance to the deep hearts of Africans, but we surely belief that, together we can make things better for the suffering masses. The Open University will have more strength and focus should the lecturers get the higher mantle hold... let us change the Gambia together.

U.K converts into Islam

Findings from faith matters indicate that, over 100,000 people have embrace Islam.
http://faith-matters.org/images/stories/fm-reports/a-minority-within-a-minority-a-report-on-converts-to-islam-in-the-uk.pdf