Africa-Press – Gambia. Sheriff,
My take on today’s episode of the kora narrative series discusses the composition Bamfa Jabbie.
It was composed by Ablie Suso honouring the great marabout Karang Madiba Jabbie from the Senegalese town of Kandialon. It was, and still remains, a popular tune; and the song became a favourite of the Jahankas all over the world.
The tune was later used to sing a song for Bamfa Jabbie, son of Karang Sankung of Fouta Touba.
According to the narrative, it was Karamba Touba that begot Karang Tasleema; Karang Tasleema begot Karang Kutubo; Karang Kutubo begot Touba Sankungho and this Touba Sankungho is the father of Alhaji Bamfa and Alhaji Soriba Jabbie.
According to the narrative, Karang Sankungho was detained by the colonial authotities; and then Alhaji Bamfa went to secure his release. He went to meet Sheikh Sadibou before proceeding on that mission. Upon meeting the great Sheikh Sadibou of Ndiassane, the sheriff told him not to worry about his dad because he was actually going to be released at a specific time.
He told Alhaji Bamfa that even if he did not set out on that mission his dad would be released; but then the sheriff told Alhaji Bamfa that Allah had blessed him for the love and care he had for his dad.
The jali proceeds to inform us that Alhaji Bamfa later emerged as a great and famous marabout who settled at Maka Kolibantang.
And surely my late uncle (who brought me up after my dad’s demise when I was an infant) Samboujang Marong, was a devout follower of these marabouts at Maka Kolibantang.
It was the late Lalo Kebba Drammeh who changed the tune a bit from the original version of Ablie Suso’s; and many other griots took that version whenever they serenaded Alhaji Bamfa, singing “Bamfa Jabbie barako beh mo mento; Jabbie, Jabbie Jatto Keelaa terro; duwaa leh jaabi tayma.’
My good friend, these people called Jahanka are a blessed lineage. Their contribution to the spread of Islam in West Africa is legendary as testified by the late Ivy League scholar, Professor Lamin Sanneh.
Various scholars who drew inspiration from the trailblazing work of Professor Sanneh concluded that: “A history of Islam in West Africa cannot be complete without a mention, however brief, of the Jakhanke Islamic Movement which arose in the 12th century under the charismatic scholar Alhajj Salim Suwareh who helped to spread Islam in the presentday countries of Mali, Guinea, Senegal and The Gambia… The Jakhanke Islamisation effort indeed have borne rich fruit!”
Indeed the children of those people who laid the foundation for our guidance in this part of the world (without raising the sword), must have lots of blessings in them.
The story of these people brings to mind the great parable Allah teaches us in verse 58 of Surah A’raf (The Heights):
“From the land that is clean and good, by the will of its Cherisher, springs up produce, (rich) after its kind.”
And since the surah at hand is named “The Heights”, and knowing the legacy of these Jahankas in burning the midnight oil in devotion and prayer, my mind reverts to the words of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who wrote the immortal lines “The heights by Great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept were toiling upward in the night.”
And at this juncture, I must mention one of the guiding lights of this Jahanka heritage who lived with us and left with grace leaving behind indelible footprints in the hearts, minds and souls of our generation.
He is none but the erudite late Sheikh Ahmad Banding Drammeh from your own hometown of Brikama. The late sheikh is said to be the grandson of the late Kang Cherno Sillah, the father of Sheikh Banding’s mother. Kang Cherno is also known to be the marabout who prayed for Lalo Kebba Drammeh.
My good friend, this series has now gotten a firm grip of my muse and I can’t help but keep it going.
But let me give you a breather till later.
Yours
Momodou Sabally
Author, economist, special adviser to the President of the Republic of The Gambia.
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