Gambia Art and Crafts

African art comes in the most wonderful abstract forms, from paintings to murals to sculptures and wood carvings. Hand woven cloth, batiks, and mudcloth can be made into soft furnishings or designed into unique high fashion clothing.
The textures and designs are underused in the western world, but in Africa the rich vibrant colours are best used in the exotic clothes which are also embroidered
with wonderful original designs. The country of origin of traditional clothes can be identified by the style and use of material


Melted beeswax is mixed with paraffin and applied to the fabric before being dipped in dye. The beeswax will bind to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Several colours are used with a series of dyeing. Thin wax lines can be applied with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup and spout, out of which the wax can seep. 

Other techniques to apply the wax onto the fabric include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax on with a brush, and applying the hot wax to pre-carved wooden or metal wire block and stamping the fabric. After the final dyeing the fabric is hung up to dry and then dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or simply ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character. 

Gambian tie dye and batiks are extravagant, rich in different shades of colour and are often seen at tourist markets and are tailored into men’s Kaftans (haftans), women’s yara Wollof, or warambas (grandmubas), skirts, shirts, ladies blouses, as well as bed sheets, curtains and tablecloths.

Mudcloth or bògòlanfini is a traditional Malian fabric dyed with fermented mud, particularly associated with the Bambara. Bògòlanfini is a Bambara word meaning “earthcloth.” To create it, simple cotton cloth is woven, shrunk, and then soaked in a preparation of leaves
from certain trees. An artist then outlines an intricate design, often taking several weeks to cover the entire cloth, with a mud dye.

The areas of yellowish mud are then treated with caustic soda, bleaching them white and creating a stark black and white design. Traditionally, a man will do the weaving while a woman will do the dyeing. In recent years, fashion designers such as Chris Seydou have
employed bògòlanfini in international clothing lines, while Malian painter Ishmael Diabate
has developed it as a fine art form.


Wooden masks, either human, animal or some mythical creature, are one of the most common forms of art in western Africa. In their original context, masks were worn by a chosen or initiated dancer and used for celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, and war preparation.


During a mask ceremony the dancer goes into deep trance, and while in this state,“communicates” with his ancestors. Masks can be worn in three ways: vertically covering the face: as a helmet, encasing the entire head, and as a crest, resting upon the head, usually covered by material as part of the disguise. African masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer


Within the vicinity of most of the major tourist hotels you will find small craft markets called bengdulas made up of a number of stalls offering a selection of items such as tribal masks, wooden carvings, batiks, tie dye fabric prints, beads, gold and silver jewellery and locally made hand woven baskets. There are larger markets at Serrekunda, Bakau and, the most famous of all, Banjul’s Albert Market.

Despite the influence of tourism in creating mass production of such art, there are some really beautiful original good quality handmade items, such as leather hand bags and shoes, hand woven cloths or solid silver jewellery but you will have to search for them. Special
items will be made to order for you in two or three days but they are worth the wait. Watch out for dipped silver bangles! Mostly these can be found being peddled on the beach or by street vendors.


You have to be prepared for the haggle in the markets and also be prepared to do a lot of hard bargaining, the price is always negotiable! So it depend on “your luck” as to the price you pay for any item … Our advice is to start with about 1/3 of the asking price
then, depending on your bargaining skills and your common sense, it is up to you how much you pay!


DON‘T TAKE OFFENCE AT AN EXTORTIONATE PRICE …the starting price is not meant to offend or to “rip you off”!


Bargaining is part of the way of life, and is meant to be part of the fun! It‘s part of the culture and should be treated light-heartedly. In the same vein the Vendor will not really take offence at your low offer even if he/she make out they are, if you cannot agree and you walk away “9 times out of 10” they will call you back …if they are not interested in your offer … then your offer was TOO LOW!


If you can‘t cope with the bargaining most hotels and gift shops will have fixed price
items for sale. You will expect to pay a little more for the convenience but sometimes
you may find a better selection and quality items than the local market.

Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!
info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280

Gambia Music

Music plays an important part of Gambian culture: “The drum” made of carved
wood and goatskin seems a simple instrument, but use of the drum is not limited to
musical entertainment, such as in music from the Americas or Europe. It has a serious
application in many societies across the continent. 


Many West African tribes are well known for their use of drumming in daily activities and special events and a native speaker of a language can often perceive an actual message in the music. This effect also forms the basis of drum languages (talking drums). In days gone by drumming was used as a way of communicating news from village to village, for example to inform members of their respective tribes about major news, such as a death, funeral, meeting, or celebration within the tribe. In the past it was used as a warning of imminent attack.


The drum is the sign of life – its beat is the heartbeat of the community. Such is the
power of the drum to evoke emotions, to touch the souls of those who hear its rhythms.
The beating of the drum is an opportunity to give one another a sense of belonging and of
solidarity. It is a time to connect with each other, to be part of that collective rhythm of the life in which young and old, rich and poor, men and women are all invited to contribute to the society.



Traditional music is mostly functional in nature, there are for example, many different
kinds of work songs, some of the drumming that goes on in the middle of the day even
helps women and men of the tribe get daily chores done more quickly as the drums allow
them to follow a rhythm while they work, Ceremonial or religious music accompanies
childbirth, marriage, hunting, and even political activities.

Ceremonial music will often be accompanied by the Balafone and the Kora, which
produces a harp-like sound. The player uses the thumb and index finger of both hands to
pluck the strings in polyrhythmic patterns. The combination of instruments used depends
on the tribe. Male griots, or praise singers, are born into the profession. They most often
act as a solo or duo instrumentalists and are traditionally heard at weddings and infant
naming ceremonies. They attend the ceremonies to bring good luck with their songs and
historical recitations. In some areas they may form part of a larger group that may include
Kora, Calabash, Flute and Tamo Drums. The griot or “Jali” society acted as historians,
advisors, arbitrators, praise singers and storytellers and essentially these musicians were
walking history books, preserving ancient stories and traditions through song. Their
inherited tradition was passed down through generations. They were said to have deep
connections to spiritual, social, or political powers through their music and speech. The
talking drums (Tamo) are some of the oldest instruments used by West African griots
and their history can be traced back to the ancient Ghanaian empire. Many griots have
developed a highly sophisticated genre of music centred on the talking drum

Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!
info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280

West African Proverbs

A talkative bird will not build a nest.

By crawling, a child learns to stand.

Earth is but a marketplace; heaven is home.

Everybody loves a fool, but nobody wants him for a son.

The teeth that laugh are also those that bite.

When the music changes, so does the dance.

Silence is also speech.

A lobster loves water, but not when he's being cooked in it.

A rotten fish pollutes the whole kitchen.

If the dog is not at home, he barks not.

A proud heart can survive a general failure because such a failure does not prick its pride.

Do not look where you fell, but where you slipped.

If you don't stand for something, you will fall for something

It takes a whole village to raise a child

By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed.

Hunger is felt by a slave and hunger is felt by a king. 

One cannot both feast and become rich

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths

The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people. 

What is bad luck for one man is good luck for another. 

When you are rich, you are hated; when you are poor, you are despised. 

Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight.

A child who is to be successful is not reared exclusively on a bed of down.

A knife does not know who is its master.

A woman is like a blanket: If you cover yourself with it, it bothers you; if you throw it aside you will feel the cold.

He who is guilty has much to say.

If there were no elephant in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal.

If things are getting easier, maybe you're headed downhill.

It is the wife who knows her husband

Marriage is like a groundnut: you have to crack them to see what is inside.

at ...

No one boasts of what belongs to another.

Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!

info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/

Tel +220 4460280 

Gambia attends Miss ECOWAS Peace Pageant

The Gambia otherwise called the smiling coast of Africa has never been left out in the world of fashion, beauty and creativity.

The country over the years participated and continue to participate in series of fashion and beauty  related competitions at both local and  International level.The country is blessed with beautiful, intelligent, smart  and creative young girls, who from the inception of fashion and beauty competitions  continues  to grab  awards and other crowns which  earned them titles of  beauty queens thus the glory added to the good name of The Gambia as a nation.

 Fatoumata Koroma, a graduate of Ndow's Coprehensive School and Mary A.A.Camphell,a fourth year Medical student at the University of The Gambia (UTG),who doubled as the 2009 crowned  Miss  UTG beauty queen were  selected to represent The Gambia at the forth coming Miss ECOWAS peace pageant scheduled to take place on the 14th of November 2009 in the Nigerian City  of Port Harcourt.

The November 4th beauty  pageant is more than a mere beauty competition but to serve  as an avenue for intelligence and creative exhibition for the selected participants who will be competing to become the peace  ambasssadors of ECOWAS and other paece loving stakeholders both  within and out side of Africa. This year's event  is the  second edition oragnised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the said River state of Nigeria. 

The coveted Miss ECOWAS beauty pageant as it has  always been  the case with other  beauty pageants  aimed among other things towards promoting and strengthening  the ideals of peace and the pace of development within the subregion of west Africa and beyond. The theme of this year's event is "Peace and Development in Diversity". As the theme suggested, participants will be require to present peaceful  messages that befitted  the objectives of the programme.The venue has been choosen due to  the relative and steady peace enjoyed in that state of Nigeria thus set  it as an example for states  to emulate.

A total of thirty (30) contestants two (2) drawn from  each of the   fifteen (15) member states of ECOWAS are expected to participate in the beauty and creative competition. Contestants are expected to participate  in series of activities marking the programme such as exhibition  of fashion and styles tenable at their country level. They will also  participate in swimsuit competition, exhibition  of elegance in their  evening gowns among others.The eagle eye  panel of judges for this  event will look for nothing else  in the participants  beyond  beauty,  intelligence, personal  charm  and approachability.
The team panel of judges  would also  consider confidence,  self assured and  the ability to have  a sense of self  control  in a wide variety of settings. The  lucky winner of this historic subregional beauty  competition  will be decorated ECOWAS peace Ambassador and would stand to  sign series of contracts with the Subregional body as well as other stakeholders interested in  promoting peace and development in ECOWAS  member states and beyond.

The Gambia's participation to the ECOWAS  peace pageant is coordinated by the famous Gomez Promotions  in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment,the ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as a  strong support from the Office of the president. The invitation for The Gambia's participation came through the Ministry of Trade,Industry and Employment to the  Gomez promotions. The two Gambian contestants described by many as  intelligent, beautiful and  little creative  queens  are expected to  leave the Gambia on the 28th of October to Ghana for a short and precise stay.

From there they would be travelling to the    Nigerian River state  of Port Harcourt on the 30th of October for two weeks prior to the day of the contest schedule for the 14th  of November 2009. George Gomez, Coordinator of the Gomez promotions, in a chat with the Arts and Culture  anchorman  in his GNOC office along the Bertiling High way, spoke extensively about the prospect of the Gambian delegates to win the competition. "I have no doubt that our delegation to the ECOWAS  beauty  competition will emerge winners.They got all what a beauty contestants need. They have the comportment, intelligence and creativity  as well as the command of the language.Our delegation is second to none",George Gomez explained in an excited spirit filled with love for beauty and creativity.

The famous Gomez promotion boss,as part of efforts meant to put his points across with clear cut precision made  extensive reference to success stories registered by Gambians in the world of beauty and fashion industry. He recalled the first ECOWAS beauty competition held in The Gambia in 1999 and won by a Gambian lady in the name of  Amie faye as a success story and the first  Peace Message beauty competition organised by ECOWAS last year in the Nigerian River State of Port Harcourt, where the Gambia representative in the name of Amie Ceesay won the best peace message.

Mr Gomez further recalled numerous beauty competitions held in The Gambia and  organised by different organisations and institutions such as the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC),the Gomez promotion among other things is  geared towards promoting and sustaining  the spirit of beauty and fashion industry in the country. He revealed plans to organise what he called the Miss Hotleg UK scheduled to take place in December 2009 to be followed by the first ever Miss world Hotleg,where competent Gambians can participate.

Contact details and Reservations:
Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!

info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/

Tel +220 4460280

Gambia braces up for fine arts festival

The Gambia is set to host the first ever Banjul Fine Arts festival, scheduled to take place from the 4th to 17th of January 2010 at the Alliance Franco Gambienne, along the Kairaba Avenue.

As part of activities geared towards the successful hosting of the sub-regional festival, the organising committee of the festival recently paid a courtesy call on Momodou Joof, director general of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), in his Banjul office. Joof received the committee comprising artists and journalists, on behalf of Madam Nancy Njie, minister of Tourism and Culture and the NCAC.

Yuspalkala, a renowned artist and coordinator of the Banjul Fine Arts festival, gave a detailed overview of the festival, its aims and objectives as well as its perceived impact on The Gambian arts and culture.  Yuspalkala told DG Joof that the meeting was meant to brief officials of the ministry and the centre about the festival and to inform them of their desire to work with them. He added that the program will bring together participants from The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, and other countries in the sub-region and beyond.

"The festival aims to promote the development and preservation of the spirit of arts and culture in The Gambia, and to explore the potentials of both young and experienced artists. The programme is also meant to serve both as a meeting point for the participating artists and a breeding ground for prospective ones," he explained to the NCAC director general. As a mark of appreciation, Yuspalkala, on behalf of the organising committee, presented the symbol of the festival to Madam Nancy Njie through Momodou Joof.

Ebrima Jobarteh, manager of the Kanbeng Traditional Dance Group of Brikama, Western Region (WR), spoke at length on the role of artists in any given community. Jobarteh expressed the hope that the Banjul Fine Arts festival will be a success. "The Gambia, as a developing country needs such programmes to boost the morales of artists and arts lovers. Artists contribute significantly towards human, political and economic development of communities," he said. For his part, Momodou Joof thanked the committee for the visit. He described the idea as a step in the right direction and assured the organising committee of the support of both his Centre and the Culture ministry. 

Contact details and Reservations:

Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.
Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!

info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/

Tel +220 4460280

Gambia's Magic Stone Circles

The Senegambian stone circles lie in Gambia north of Janjanbureh and in central Senegal. Coordinates: 13° 41 N - 15° 31 W. Approximate area: 15,000 square miles (39,000 km²). They are sometimes divided into the Wassu (Gambian) and Sine-Saloum (Senegalese) circles, but this is purely a national division.


The stones were erected around the eighth century on top of earlier graves. The ten to twenty-four stones in each circle vary in size up to ten-ton stones, from 1 to 2.5 metres high and are generally of laterite. The stones mark burials and were erected before the twelfth century. There are around 1,000 stone circles, the biggest concentration being more than 1,000 stones in fifty-two circles at Djalloumbéré and those around the village of Wassu, which has a museum devoted to them. One notable circle is actually a V formation.


Traditionally, for unknown reasons, people leave small rocks on the stones. The use to which the stones were put is not clear but recent excavation work (2006), reported by the National Geographic Society, suggests a funerary purpose given the large number of human remains found at the sites. Archaeologists at the site are pursuing the theory that different parts of a body were buried at different sites and at different times


Contact details and Reservations:

Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.


Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!
info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280

Gambia Arts and Crafts

Wooden masks

Which might either be human or animal or of mythical creatures, are one of the most commonly found forms of art in western Africa. In their original contexts, ceremonial masks are used for celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, and war preparation.

The masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer. During the mask ceremony the dancer goes into deep trance, and during this state of mind he "communicates" with his ancestors. The masks can be worn in three different ways: vertically covering the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the disguise.

African masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer. Most African masks are made with wood.

Mudcloth

Is a traditional Malian fabric dyed with fermented mud, particularly associated with the Bambara. The name is a Bambara word meaning "earthcloth." In the creation of bògòlanfini, simple cotton cloth is woven, shrunk, and then soaked in a preparation of leaves from certain trees.

An artist then outlines an intricate design with a mud dye, often taking several weeks to cover the entire cloth.Yellowish areas of mud are then treated with a caustic soda, bleaching them back to white for a stark black and white design.

Traditionally, a man will do the weaving while a woman will do the dyeing. In recent years, fashion designers such as Chris Seydou have employed bògòlanfini in international clothing lines, while Malian painter Ishmael Diabate has developed it as a fine art form.

Batik

Melted wax is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax. The beeswax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.

Thin wax lines are made with a canting, a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. Other methods of applying the wax onto the fabric include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax on with a brush, and applying the hot wax to pre-carved wooden or metal wire block and stamping the fabric.

After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character.

Juju or Ju-Ju

Is a word of West African origin that refers to the supernatural power ascribed to an object or charm as a means of protection; It can also refer to the use of such objects, used in a form of witchcraft. "

Also the supernatural or magical power attributed to such objects. Juju’s are worn by most people in Gambia, often on the arm or around the waist and some times as a necklace. You will find many for sale in the local markets and they are often offered as gifts of friendship.Silver Smiths can be found in the Markets Hand Made Silver.

Contact details and Reservations:

Luigis Complex for the best Gambian self-catering apartments, serviced flats, beachside accommodation, bed and breakfast, restaurant and eco-tourism excursions.


Relax and enjoy your Gambia Holidays with us!


info@luigiscomplex.com
www.luigis.gm/
Tel +220 4460280