Cosaan Seereer : Exclusive interview with Arona Puuy and Salieu Seck : Koffki Shrine of Bandia by The Seereer Resource Centre and Seereer Radio

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