An Akonting Report The First International Conference On The African Origins Of The New World Banjo

The Conference was held in Mandinary Gambia From July 13^th - July 16^th 2006.
Presented By The Senegambia Center For Cultural Research And Education.

Before the eve of this conference the Senegambia committee received research officials and visitors from
Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States of America in persons of: Ulf Jagfors, Rhiannon Giddens,
Paul Sedgwick, Greg and Maggie Adams and Nick Bamber. Marking the eve of the conference, a party was
thrown on the 13th of July 2006 from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Daniel Jattas family residence in Kanifing to
welcome, introduce particularly visiting guests to their hosts and participants. The reception was interactive
and ice-breaking.

On July 14th , the first day of the conference, as early as 8:45 am, Akonting music, Drumming, and dancing
and clapping have roused interest within the community of Mandinary and all eyes and movements was to the
center where the conference was held. Over 300 (three hundred) people attended the programme including
elders of the community of Mandinary with a population of over 1500 people.

The community was represented by some senior citizens of all ethnic groups including the Jolas, Mandikos,
Manjagos, the Fulas, the Wolofs, and many more. However the programme commenced at about 10 am by
prayers in the form of libation which is traditional and an invitation of our ancestral spiritual intercession for
desired blessing by the remaining oldest Jola Akonting player in the Gambia, Sagari Sambo. In his part, the
Chairman of the Senegambia Committee, Paul Correa welcomed the visitors, participants and well wishers.

In his remarks, Paul Correa thanked Daniel Jatta whose conclusive 25 years of research has made startling
revelation of the African origins of the New World banjo that has generated interest and the building of the
center first in a small way by constructing two structures and the establishment of a Senegambia Central
Committee.

Paul Correa in his remarks went on to thank Ulf, Rhinnon, Dr. Dickerson, Eli Smith, Shlomo Pestcoe, Stan
Werbin, Paul Sedgwick, Greg and Maggie Adams, Ben Nelson, Tony Thomas, Ed Britt, Rebecca Dixon plus
other Europeans and Americans who in one way or the other contributed immensely in supporting Daniels
research and the construction of the center and continued support to the whole center in promotion of our fast
fading string instruments in the like of Akonting and Buchundu .

In delivering a brief history, culture, traditions and tales of the Jola Akonting, Sagari Sambo intimated that the
Jola Akonting was an instrument used for socialization bringing people together, for entertainment, wrestling and
particularly during palm wine drinking and other related ceremonies. He reiterated that many Akonting players
were said to have disappeared in the bush and places around the coast where so many palm trees are found
growing.

In his part Ulf Jagfors gave a deliberation on banjo: From Egypt to Jamaica. He reiterated that during a
relatively short period of time from the 1650 to 1850 there were a number of documents on how the slaves in
the new world amused themselves by dancing and playing a lute instrument made of calabash called Banza,
Banjer or Bangoe. He went on to say that these descriptions are found to be from South America, the Caribbean
Countries and the South East States of North America. Mr. Jagfors however concluded that the Akonting and
other musical instruments of its likes may be linked to slavery and the development of the new world banjo. The
Gambia being one of the coastal areas to have heavily suffered from slavery and trans-Atlantic slave trade may
well be the origin of the banjo. Thus Mr. Jagfors argument supports Daniel Jattas research findings that the
Akonting is one of the living ancestors of the New world banjo.

Daniel deliberated on the Senegambia Akonting depicting it one of the living ancestors to the new world banjo.
Daniel compared the construction, play style and social context of the two instruments Akonting/banjo. Rhinnon
also demonstrated the stroke style of the new world banjo with her banjo to show how similar this style is to the
"OTEEK" style of the Jola Akonting. There was also a brief panel discussion on the cultural significance of the
Jola Akonting to the new world banjo.

Day two of the conference was proceeded by a bus trip to Akonting cultural sites said to have had Akonting
players disappeared at night and to have been taken from these sites by the devils. These sites include Kotu,
Bond road, Kamolo etc. James Island was visited plus Albreda museum site at the old Juffureh to expose our
visitors to some old colonial and slavery sites. While the field trips were being conducted by the visitors the
center was booming with diverse cultural groups and display.

At about 3:00 pm the field trips concluded and visitors joined a large gathering of about 500 people witnessing
the organised cultural and musical "jambori". Communities from the surrounding were represented and officials
from the printing press and civil servants attended with youths and elders of Mandinary. Cultural groups came
all over the greater Banjul area including the following:

Joker-Endarr cultural group, Sorry Kafo cultural group, Furakaf cultural group, Lamin Darusalam cultural
group, Kabuka manjako cultural group, Muktarr Jeng and his Xhalam, and the Sijambukan cultural group of
Casamance. A meeting with Government minister of Culyure was organised. The outcome of this meeting
promised very strong links and moral support by the Gambia government to Akonting center in the near future.

It could also be recalled that, earlier fear has it that the center will not be able to host the programme due to
incomplete work on it. Not until few days left for the conference that a strong determination was made by the
Senegambia committee to have it at the center. Fears of organisation failure may have been expressed in some
quarters prior to the commencement of the conference. However, everything went as planned and the conference
was embraced by young and old people of Mandinary making it their own.

It is hoped that this conference will continue to be biannual event as we also gear to put up more structures and
to facilitate affordable and sustainable accommodation in the near future particularly for our visiting participants.
We wish again to thank our supporters, friends and well wishers in Gambia, Europe and America as we look
forward to meeting again.

Daniel Laemouahuma Jatta

My E-mail

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