Cosaan Seereer : Exclusive interview with Bure Joof, Njuma Joof and Mam Biram Joof of Njongon 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 Bure Joof, Njuma Joof and Mam Biram Joof in Njongon, The Gambia - a twenty minutes taxi ride from Barra which is located in the Niumi area.

Date of first broadcast on Seereer Radio : Saturday, 6th February 2016

 

Presenters : Tamsier Joof and Demba Sene

 

Interviewees : Bure Joof, Njuma Joof and Mam Biram Joof

 

Other panel members : Njaga Gaye

 

Source language(s) :  Wolof, Seereer-Siin, Saafi-Saafi and English

 

Subjects covered : Origin of the Seereer people; History of Njongon, Historical ties between the Seereer, Jola and Fula people, and the link between Seereer and Jola people; Meaning and etymology of Niominka; History and genealogy of the Joof family of Njongon; Role of Seereer Saltigi and Seereer rituals before sowing seeds; and Seereer villages and their founders within the Niumi area.

 

Radio program : Cosaan Seereer

 

Radio station : Seereer Radio

 

Owner : The Seereer Resource Centre (SRC)

 

Collection : The SRC Collection

 

Date of recording : 26th December 2015

 

Location : The compound of Mam Biram Joof in Njongon, Niumi, 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 of the SRC and Seereer Radio) and Demba Sene.

 

Information about the Joof family of Njongon : Njuma Joof and Mam Biram Joof are brothers, and Bure Joof is their paternal cousin. Njuma is the eldest, followed by Bure, then Mam Biram - the youngest. The family have been living in Njongon village since 1954, and this family are connected to the Joof family that founded many surrounding villages in the Niumi area including Njongon itself which was founded by another member of the Joof family. They are related to Alkali Ndiaga Joof who is the current alkali (village chief or mayor) of Njongon. Njaga Joof was not present during the interview but he was the one who initially introduced the SRC team to Mam Biram Joof and arranged the interview. Bure Joof did much of the talking. He is very knowledgeable about the history of the area and the history of the Seereer people of Niumi.  As custom dictates, Mam Biram Joof did not speak much as his elder brother and cousin were present. The three gentlemen are Seereer Seex and speak the Seex language - i.e. Seereer-Siin. They also speak Wolof and English - Njuma and Mam Biram in particular.

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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