THE DANCING TOURAY MORIS

Take a pot shot but I have to mock some of my kin folks. The family of line of the Tourays is a very long and illustrious one. The Tourays in West Africa are in many region and tribal group. From Mandingo, Sarahuleh, wolof, Bambana, Temene, etc and also the family name can be found in all west African countries.
What is important to my curiosity here is the legacy of Tourays in SeneGambia. Once upon a time, the Tourays were mostly associated with religious propagation and serious endeavours. The descendants of Tourays are always reminded about these stories. The saying about the Tourays goes with being God fearing and Islamic wise knowledgeable.
Well, that was then. I took an interest in observing Touray kunda people from different parts of the world. Whenever somebody tells me, he/she is Touray, I enquiry as to the person’s understanding of the Touray history. To my surprise the ones I came across usually exhibit a serious lack of understanding of their family line in broad category.
What is evident though is the fact that, very few Tourays are Christians or Animist. The term Manden Mori mixes well with Touray; it’s the undisputable praise adjective of Touray kunda people. Ceesays, Janeh, Bereteh, Konmah goes goes with nghanah Manden Mori (those are manden mori’s).
What is a Manden Mori?
Since Manden is historically the original birth place of the Manden speaking people, which include a wide variety of tribes. The role that the Tourays and other Manden Mori’s play is that of spiritual custodianship. The term Mori comes from the verb Moro. A Moro is an Islamic religious healer/guardian. A Moro is a pillar in his community, he doesn’t entertain jokes, neither singing nor dancing. The Mori’s remind people of their responsibilities in life, from that of looking after ones family to the roles in society and more importantly living an upright God-fearing life.
But are the Moros doing this task of late? Hell no. The Sanyang kunda folks whom the Tourays rescue from the clutches of the Devil himself are now more God-fearing than the dancing Tourays. The Ceesay kunda folks aren’t better either. This Moros have now abandoned their post and took over the role of Jali patroniser in very ugly fashion.
To justify my rant against the Dancing Tourays, take a look at any Jaliba Kuyateh DVD or video, you will see and hear him calling on his “Touray Tourays”. Ahhna Touray Touray yee? Where are the Touray Tourays?
The Touray kunda Jaliba fans have shown that, they indeed enjoy the praising of their ancestry, yet lacking any iota of seriousness required of a Manden Mori. Watch Jaliba in Hamburg, London, Birmingham, U.S and many other venues.
How can a Moro be gracing every Jaliba occasion? They don’t attend just the shows as bystanders, but becomes the biggest patronisers and thus getting the highest praises. This is wrong My Touray kin folks. To give to a Jali is purposely for a seeking world praises and name. Whilst helping once close kit and kin or even the needy is more everlasting, rewarding and fulfilling. Stop wasting your hard earn money on Jali’s for unnecessary praise seeking. Your ancestors were truly Manden Moris but you are not. The endless songs about the Tourays is now deafening and boring. Let the Jalis switch their attention to sanyangs and Camaras, they need the Jamundiro or praising more than we do.
Stop dancing and start pondering, the world is not just for jokes and plays. We are all getting fade up of the dancing Tourays. I hope some Ceeay kunda folk can admonish their own boxing it Ceesay mori’s.
Yours brother in the Touray family line
Suntou Touray.