A Seereer Resource Centre and Seereer Radio collaboration. Bringing you great content about the Seereer people of Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania.
Episodes
Saturday Mar 26, 2016
Saturday Mar 26, 2016
In December 2015, the Seereer Resource Centre in collaboration with our radio station (Seereer Radio) sent its research team to several parts of Seereer country to interview some notable and knowledgeable Seereer elders, historians / scholars on matters relating to Seereer religion, history and culture, so that we can document and preserve this before it is too late. This team was headed by Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene.
This is the first part of the interview they conducted with Professor Issa Laye Thiaw at his house in Diamagane Sicap. Dakar, Senegal. This audio is in two parts.
Date of first broadcast on Seereer Radio : Saturday, 26th March 2016
Presenters : Tamsier Joof, Demba Sene and Mamadou Fall
Interviewers : Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene
Interviewee : Professor Issa Laye Thiaw
Other panel members : Njaga Gaye and Momodou Secka
Source language(s) : Seereer-Siin, Saafi-Saafi, English, French and Wolof
Subjects covered : Seereer symbolism ; Ndut, Seereer surnames; The importance and representation of birds in Seereer traditions.
Radio program : Cosaan Seereer
Radio station : Seereer Radio
Owner : The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)
Collection : The SRC Collection
Date of recording : 14th December 2015
Location : The compound of Professor Issa Laye Thiaw in Diamagane Sicap. Dakar, Senegal. Medium : Audio recording
Additional information : This audio was recorded for the SRC Collection, with permission to broadcast granted to Seereer Radio | The Voice of the Seereer Community (our 24 hour stream radio station). The research team was headed by Tamsier Joof (founder of the SRC and Seereer Radio) and Demba Sene. It was recorded on 14th December 2015 at Professor Thiaw's house. Apologies for the noisy background..
Information about Professor Issa Laye Thiaw : Professor Issa Laye Thiaw, also known as Mbañik Caw (his Seereer name, Thiaw is spelled Caw in Seereer) is a scholar of Seereer religion and history, but perhaps better known for his work on Seereer religion and culture. His work has been cited by several international scholars writing about Seereer religion and culture. Along with his writing, Professor Thiaw has also appeared as guest speaker on several inter-religious dialogue meetings. He is the author of that celebrated book "La femme Seereer." Other papers authored by Thiaw include:
- La religiosité Seereer, avant et pendant leur Islamisation
- Mythe de la création du monde selon les sages sereer
Professor Thiaw supports the Seereer Resource Centre (SRC) where he currently serves as Consultant on Seereer religion, History and Culture. Working in partnership with the Seereer Resource Centre, Professor Thiaw and the SRC are in the process of building a huge complex in Sanghe (or Sangue) - Senegal, which will be called "The Seereer Resource Centre and the Temple of Initiated Women." It will be the flagship office of the SRC where Seereer ancient religion, culture and medicine will be taught to those interested in these subjects. To learn more about this project and how you can part take in it, visit the Seereer Resource Centre's website or e-mail us at info@seereer.com.
Note : You can have your say about this audio by leaving a comment below. Keep it clean and relevant.
Download transcript « Télécharger la transcription » :
Visit the Seereer Resource Centre download page to download a transcript of this audio in English, French, Seereer a Sinig, Saafi-Saafi, Ndut, Sili-Sili, Noon and Laalaa.
Websites :
The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC) - www.seereer.org
Seereer Radio - www.seereerradio.com
Friday Mar 25, 2016
Friday Mar 25, 2016
In December 2015, the Seereer Resource Centre in collaboration with our radio station (Seereer Radio) sent its research team to several parts of Seereer country to interview some notable and knowledgeable Seereer elders, historians / scholars on matters relating to Seereer religion, history and culture, so that we can document and preserve this before it is too late. This team was headed by Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene.
This is the interview they conducted with Arona Puuy and Salieu Seck at Bandia in Joobaas, Senegal, regarding the historical Koffki shrine at Bandia. The Koffki was a sacred place of judgment and protection used by the Seereer, particularly the Saafi. It is a grove where libations were offered. It was, and is still headed by the Leemu matriclan. One of the powerful Saafi matriclans.
Date of first broadcast on Seereer Radio : Saturday, 12th March 2016
Presenters : Tamsier Joof, Demba Sene and Mamadou Fall
Interviewers : Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene
Interviewees : Arona Puuy and Salieu Secka
Other panel members : Njaga Gaye, Momodou Secka and Assane Sene
Source language(s) : Saafi-Saafi, Seereer-Siin, English and Wolof,
Subjects covered : History of Bandia, the Koffki shrine and Joonjoon; Etymology of Bandia, Koffki and Joonjoon; Yagap Mam; The three original Saafi matriclans, their meaning, etymology and origins (Leemu, Yandol and Laha matriclans) -, and a derived matriclan e.g. Yookaam; Other shrines in Bandia.
Radio programme : Cosaan Seereer
Radio station : Seereer Radio
Owner : The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)
Collection : The SRC Collection
Date of recording : 17th December 2015
Location : The compound of Arona Puuy and Salieu Secka in Bandia, Joobaas, Senegal.
Medium : Audio recording
Additional information : This audio was recorded for the SRC Collection, with permission to broadcast granted to Seereer Radio | The Voice of the Seereer Community (our 24 hour stream radio station). The research team was headed by Tamsier Joof (founder of the SRC and Seereer Radio) and Demba Sene.
Note : There is a lot of controversy about this audio interview. Some ultra Seereer traditionalists believe that since some members of the Leemu matriclan have converted to Islam in recent times, especially the one leading this site, they should no longer head this Seereer sacred site. They believe that only those who adhere to the tenets of Seereer religion (a ƭat Roog) in its ultra-orthodox form should head this site, and the Leemu should pass it on to another family that follows the Ultra-Orthodox Seereer religious faith. They argue that the pouring of wine and invocation of Roog Seen or Kooh Seen (the Supreme Deity) were necessary parts of the ancient libation rituals. Since Islam forbids this and the man leading the site is estopped from doing so as a result of his newly found religion (Islam), he and his family (the Leemu clan) should be barred from leading this site. What do you think? You can have your say about this audio by leaving a comment below. Keep it clean and relevant.
Please also note that there was no Cosaan Seereer programme on Saturday 5th March 2016. Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene were in The Gambia on that date and were hoping to make the first ever joint broadcast on African soil rather than the usual where Tamsier broadcast from London and Demba joins him live on the phone from Senegal. Unfortunately the show had to be postponed because of The Gambia's poor internet connection. This show was actually the show they should have presented on that date. Seereer Radio would like to apologies to all its listeners who were looking forward to listen to the show on 5th March 2016.
Download transcript « Télécharger la transcription » :
Visit the Seereer Resource Centre download page to download a transcript of this audio in English, French, Seereer a Sinig, Saafi-Saafi, Ndut, Sili-Sili, Noon and Laalaa.
Websites :
The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC) - www.seereer.org
Seereer Radio - www.seereerradio.com
Monday Feb 22, 2016
Monday Feb 22, 2016
Tamsier Joof, founder of the Seereer Resource Centre and Seereer Radio has been documenting Seereer and Senegambian history for the past few decades. This is the interview he conducted with his uncle the late Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof more commonly known as Cham Joof, the highly acclaimed Gambian historian, author, politician, broadcaster and trade unionist who passed away on 2nd April 2011. This audio is a collage of interviews Tamsier conducted with his late uncle over the years. The earliest recording for this particular audio is 2008.
Tamsier dedicated this show to Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof. The show was co-presented with Demba Sene.
Date of first broadcast on Seereer Radio : Saturday, 13th February 2016
Presenters : Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene
Interviewee : Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (aka: Cham Joof)
Source language(s) : English, Wolof and Saafi-Saafi
Subjects covered : Political life of Cham Joof, Trade unionist life of Cham Joof, Meaning of Geweel (griot), History of Wally Nyang and Kotcha Joof,Brave Women at the Battle of Kansala, History of Sa lolly Jabou, The Great Boukary Ngoneh Juuf, The difference between Kal and Gamou,Tafsir Ebrima Samba and Tafsir Demba Jange, The Great Ibra Faye, (griot of King Abdou Njaay), The Joof family (The Nyang and Joof families, and the Seereer code of honour), genealogy and family history of Cham Joof.
Radio program : Cosaan Seereer
Radio station : Seereer Radio
Owner : The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)
Collection : The SRC Collection
Date(s) of recording : From 25th December 2008 to 24th January 2010 (this is a collage of interviews)
Location : The compound of Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof in Bakau, The Gambia
Medium : Audio recording
Additional information : This audio was recorded for the SRC Collection, with permission to broadcast granted to Seereer Radio | The Voice of the Seereer Community (our 24 hour stream radio station). The research team was headed by Tamsier Joof (founder ofthe SRC and Seereer Radio). Apologies for the poor quality of this audio and the background noise from other members of the household. The interviews were very old and the equipment used at the time was not as sophisticated as we have now. The structure of the interview was also less formal as you might have heard before, because Tamsier was interviewing his own paternal uncle so the formal interview structure you might have heard from Tamsier was not present here. Instead, the interview was informal and there was much laughter between Tamsier and his uncle. However, the recording is full of great content on Seereer and Senegambian history. In parts of the interview, Tamsier decided to give the microphone to Cham and allowed him to speak freely.
Information about Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof : Alhaji Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (22 October 1924 – 2 April 2011), more commonly known as Cham Joof was a Gambian historian, politician,author, trade unionist, broadcaster, radio program director, scout master,Pan-Africanist, lecturer, columnist, activist and nationalist who fought diligently to ensure The Gambia and her people gain full independence from British colonial rule. He was one of the leading Gambian nationalists during the colonial era.
Cham Joof’s political inspirations came from Rev. J. C Faye and Ibrahima Momodou Garba-Jahumpa. He was amember of the Gambia Democratic Party (GDP), the first political party in The Gambia formed by Rev. J. C Faye in February 1951 at the then Information Bureau at Allen Street in Banjul. The GDP was previously known as the Gambia Congress Party. Cham Joof organised and led “The Bread and Butter Demonstration of 1959”, a political demonstration against British colonial rule. As a result of that demonstration he was arrested and imprisoned by the British colonial authorities along with his collaborators Crispin Grey Johnson and M. B. Jones. They were all indicted as "inciting the public to disobey the laws of the land." Their Gambian barrister - Bamba Saho represented them and the case was later dismissed. The old black and white picture above shows the scene during the Bread Butter Demonstration of 1959 in Banjul, The Gambia. You can see the much younger Cham Joof in a white shirt and hat holding a file.
Cham Joof was one of the pioneers of the "Chossanie Senegambia" program, a collaborative radio show between Radio Senegal and Radio Gambia from 1973 where prominent Senegalese and Gambian historians and griots were interviewed in the local Senegambian languages about the history of Senegambia (i.e. Senegal and Gambia). Chossanie Senegambia (variation: Cosaanie Senegambia) simply means the history of Senegambia. The word "cosaan", a Saafi-Saafi word, is a generic term denoting history, culture or tradition or a combination of all three.Cosaan means origin or the beginning in Saafi-Saafi.
Many of Cham Joof’s manuscripts were unpublished but quoted by scholars who interacted with him. Here is a selection of some of his books:
- The history of the Banjul Mosque
- Getting to know The Gambia
- The root cause of the bread and butter demonstration
- Banjul Daemba 1816-1999 Tagator
Note : You can have your say about this audio by leaving a comment below. Keep it clean and relevant.
Download transcript « Télécharger la transcription » :
Visit the Seereer Resource Centre download page to download a transcript of this audio in English, French, Seereer a Sinig, Saafi-Saafi, Ndut, Sili-Sili, Noon and Laalaa.
Websites :
The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC) - www.seereer.org
Seereer Radio - www.seereerradio.com
Sunday Jan 31, 2016
Sunday Jan 31, 2016
In December 2015, the Seereer Resource Centre in collaboration with our radio station (Seereer Radio) sent it's research team to several parts of Seereer country to interview some notable and knowledgeable Seereer elders, historians / scholars on matters relating to Seereer religion, history and culture, so that we can document and preserve this before it is too late. This team was headed by Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene.
This is the second part of the interview they conducted with Saltigi Biram Puuy at his house in Joobaas, Senegal. This audio is in two parts.
Date of first broadcast on Seereer Radio : Tuesday, 5th January 2016
Presenters : Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene
Interviewee : Saltigi Biram Puuy
Other panel members : Professor Issa Laye Thiaw; Momodou Secka and Njaga Gaye
Source language(s) : Saafi-Saafi, Wolof, Seereer-Siin, French and English
Subjects covered : Seereer religion, Seereer history, Seereer traditional medicine and plants in Seereer medicine; Seereer cosmology; Seereer calendar; Seereer astronomy; Seereer cosmogony; wisdom of animals; values of saltigi (or saltigue); the devil; death in Seereer society; protection against evil; Seereer symbolism, signs / writing; initiation and rites of passage (ndut); canonization and sainthood.
Radio program : Cosaan Seereer
Radio station : Seereer Radio
Owner : The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)
Collection : The SRC Collection
Date of recording : 15th December 2015
Location : Joobaas, Senegal
Medium : Audio recording
Additional information : This audio was recorded for the SRC Collection, with permission to broadcast granted to Seereer Radio | The Voice of the Seereer Community (our 24 hour stream radio station). The research team was headed by Tamsier Joof (founder of the SRC and Seereer Radio) and Demba Sene.
Information about Saltigi Biram Puuy : Saltigi Biram Puuy is one the last remnants of the old traditional Seereer priestly class. Saltigi (or Saltigue) is a Seereer religious title denoting a high priest or priestess. He was initiated into the secret order of the Seereer priestly class and adhere to the tenets of Seereer religion, both of which are fundamental for one to be deemed a "true saligi". Saltigi Puuy comes from a long line of Seereer priests. He is well versed in Seereer religious doctrines, history, traditional medicine, secrets of ndut classical teachings which includes the cosmos and the paranomal. Saltigi Puuy rarely give interviews, preferring to focus more of his time on Seereer history and culture than the usual role associated with the Seereer priestly class (saltigi).
Note: You can have your say about this audio by leaving a comment here. Keep it clean and relevant.
Download transcript « Télécharger la transcription » :
Visit the Seereer Resource Centre download page to download a transcript of this audio in English, French, Seereer a Sinig, Saafi-Saafi, Ndut, Sili-Sili, Noon and Laalaa.
Websites :
The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC) - www.seereer.org
Seereer Radio - www.seereerradio.com
Sunday Jan 31, 2016
Sunday Jan 31, 2016
This is the first part of the interview they conducted with Saltigi Biram Puuy at his house in Joobaas, Senegal. This audio is in two parts.
Date of first broadcast on Seereer Radio : Tuesday, 5th January 2016
Presenters : Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene
Interviewee : Saltigi Biram Puuy
Other panel members : Professor Issa Laye Thiaw; Momodou Secka and Njaga Gaye
Source language(s) : Saafi-Saafi, Wolof, Seereer-Siin, French and English
Subjects covered : Seereer religion, Seereer history, Seereer traditional medicine and plants in Seereer medicine; Seereer cosmology; Seereer calendar; Seereer astronomy; Seereer cosmogony; wisdom of animals; values of saltigi (or saltigue); the devil; death in Seereer society; protection against evil; Seereer symbolism, signs / writing; initiation and rites of passage (ndut); canonization and sainthood.
Radio program : Cosaan Seereer
Radio station : Seereer Radio
Owner : The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)
Collection : The SRC Collection
Date of recording : 15th December 2015
Location : Joobaas, Senegal
Medium : Audio recording
Additional information : This audio was recorded for the SRC Collection, with permission to broadcast granted to Seereer Radio | The Voice of the Seereer Community (our 24 hour stream radio station). The research team was headed by Tamsier Joof (founder of the SRC and Seereer Radio) and Demba Sene.
Information about Saltigi Biram Puuy : Saltigi Biram Puuy is one the last remnants of the old traditional Seereer priestly class. Saltigi (or Saltigue) is a Seereer religious title denoting a high priest or priestess. He was initiated into the secret order of the Seereer priestly class and adhere to the tenets of Seereer religion, both of which are fundamental for one to be deemed a "true saligi". Saltigi Puuy comes from a long line of Seereer priests. He is well versed in Seereer religious doctrines, history, traditional medicine, secrets of ndut classical teachings which includes the cosmos and the paranomal. Saltigi Puuy rarely give interviews, preferring to focus more of his time on Seereer history and culture than the usual role associated with the Seereer priestly class (saltigi).
Note: You can have your say about this audio by leaving a comment here. Keep it clean and relevant.
Download transcript « Télécharger la transcription » :
Visit the Seereer Resource Centre download page to download a transcript of this audio in English, French, Seereer a Sinig, Saafi-Saafi, Ndut, Sili-Sili, Noon and Laalaa.
Websites :
The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC) - www.seereer.org
Seereer Radio - www.seereerradio.com