THE AMADU BANSANG JOBARTEH SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The West African Guild is currently working on setting up the Amadu Bansang Jobarteh Schoool of Music in The Gambia. It is situated in the village of Kembujeh and was originally informally set up in 2006 by Sanjally Jobarteh and Sona Jobarteh. The school is named after the great master Griot of his generation Amadu Bansang Jobarteh to mark and honour the legacy which he left behind by sharing it with the younger generation of aspiring musicians in the Gambia as a means of sustaining this invaluable tradition which has been as one of the corner stones of Manding culture for over seven centuries.

We are currenlty in the process of obtaining approved funding from various funding bodies. The Joseph Antonio Emidy Trust in Cornwall is aslo working on raising funds to help the school, and is hoping to invest in a programme in which a handful of students from the school will be funded to study intensively for six months with the offered opportunity of travelling to the United Kingdom to perform at the end of their course.

As the school is currently dependent on funding we are looking to raise funds wherever we can. If you wish to donate to this unique enterprise please feel free to do so at the bottom of this page, or alternatively you can contact us.

THE GRIOT TRADITION

The Griot tradition dates back the thirteenth century during the time of the Malian Empire where it grew out of a Royal Court tradition in which ‘Griots’ were not only responsible for music but were the close advisors to the king, historians, genealogists, poets and councillors to the society as a whole. Instruments such as the Kora, Balafon and Konting were exclusively played by Griots, and to this day these instruments are still handed down though the generations within Griot families, of which there are only five in West Africa. However, in recent times it is becoming more accepted for those coming from ‘non Griot’ families to learn and to play these instruments.

Lamin Susso's Music Shop. The Gambia. 2009.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE GRIOT TRADITION IN THE GAMBIA

Alhagie-Sidi Saho
Percussion Student

Inquiries have revealed that many youngsters in the Gambia wish to be involved more in learning the tradition, however very few are now provided with the opportunity to do so. Formerly the younger generation were taught by elders within their respective families, however unfortunately most of these elders have now passed away, leaving the next generation of aspiring musicians with little guidance and tuition. As a result many are not given the chance to fulfil their potential as well-respected West African musicians, and once these youngsters reach a certain age still unfulfilled and frustrated by their stunted growth as musicians, their focus is swept away by the tide of popular culture coming to the Gambia from other parts of the world.

ROLE OF THE A.B.J SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN THE GAMBIA

The ABJ School is unique in that it not only provides the opportunity for students to learn with some of the most highly respected musicians in the Gambia, and indeed West Africa, but it also creates an environment in which to learn which closely resonates with familiar old traditional ways of teaching and learning:

• Older students will learn with younger students and will not always be divided according to age or level of ability as they are in other institutions. This was an important method used by the elder generation in teaching to encourage the sense of ‘family’ amongst students which resulted in students looking after one another, supporting each other in their efforts, and practicing together, meaning that the work was always continuing amongst students outside of ‘class time’.

Lamin Susso - Instrument Maker

Percussion Teacher at the Amadu Bansang School Of Music

Percussion Teacher - Nankuman Jarlo

• The location of the school in the village of Kembujeh carries the desired reputation for being one of the strongholds of the Griot tradition due to the legacy of Amadu Bansang Jobarteh who lived and taught there for several decades. In fact, the school is a short walk from the old compound of Amadu called ‘Jobarteh Kunda’ where his descendants still live and work as musicians.

• The school aims to gather together the last remaining ‘elders’ in the region rooted in the Griot tradition to stand as teachers in order to share their knowledge collectively with the next generation of musicians who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study with such people.

HOW THE A.B.J SCHOOL OF MUSIC WORKS

LESSONS:

Lessons are held at ‘The ABJ School of Music’ in Kembujeh,
once a week. Both students and teachers travel to the school
to carry out lessons. Lesson times range from between one and
three hours depending on the age and number of students involved.

Sankung Jobarteh - Kora Student

LOCATION AND TRAVEL: The school is located just outside Brikama, a popular town in the Gambia. Students and teachers either live locally and can walk to the location or take a short taxi ride from Brikama. Currently the school is attended only by those who live relatively close to the site due to their financial restrictions for travel for both students and teachers.

INSTRUMENTS:
Students and teachers currently use instruments that are kept on site which have been donated to the school by instrument-maker Lamin Suso. The school aims to help provide students with instruments that they can either loan or use for themselves to enable them to practice at home as well as at the school.

Performance Hall under construction.

PERFORMANCES:

The school has its own performance hall which is used by the students and teachers for scheduled performances to a local audience. This not only gives the students something to work towards, but also gives them important experience in performing in front of a live audience and handling sound equipment.

CURRENT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

TEACHERS:

NANKUMAN JARLO	Manding Percussion
SONA JOBARTEH	Voice
WALI CHAM	Kora
SANKUNG JOBARTEH	Guitar

STUDENTS:

(JUNIORS)
ASSAN FAYE	Sabar/Djimbe (13 years old)
BAKARI KUYATEH	Dundun ( 15 years old)
BATIBOU JOBARTEH	Sabar (8 years old)

(SENIORS)
SANKUNG JUNIOR JOBARTEH	Kora
ALHAGIE-SIDI SAHO	Percussion

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