Songs: Jola Man Drummer (Kaani's Song)

Jola Man Drummer (Kaani's Song)

Hey Jola, hey Jola, hey Jola man

Down south Senegal there’s a man known well

As the Jola man drummer from Thionck-Essyl

He can make you sing, he can make you dance

He’s the Jola man drummer of Casamance

Hey Jola, hey Jola, hey Jola man

I know that Jola man drummer well

And I know his story enough to tell

It’s a story best told by the beat of his hands

As they pound to the pulse of African lands

Hey Jola, hey Jola, hey Jola man

You might hear every sound that passes ears

You might listen to the music of the spheres

But you’ve heard nothing till you’ve heard the thrum

Of the rhythm and the beat of that Jola man’s drum

Hey Jola, hey Jola, hey Jola man

When that Jola Man drummer comes to play

His people come from near and far away

They know what he feels, they know what he gives

As his drum marks the time of the lives that they live

It’s the beat of their blood, the rhythm of their breath

It’s the dance of their souls from birth to death

It’s the story they sing that’s in every part

Of the rhythm and the beat of that Jola man’s heart

Hey Jola, hey Jola, hey Jola man

You might move the sky, you might move the sea

You might move the earth, but I guarantee

You’ve moved nothin’ till you’ve moved your feet

To the rhythm of life in that Jola man’s beat

Oh the rhythm of life in that Jola man’s beat

Yeah the rhythm of life’s in that Jola man’s beat!

*******

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SPECIAL VERSE (for Kaani only)

You might see all the wonders of the world

You might see all the glory of life unfurled

But you’ve seen nothin’ till you get to see

That Jola man drummer play his ukulele

(Yeah Kaani Badji plays a ukulele)

This song was written for and about my friend, Kanni Badji, a proud Jola man, and the main ceremonial drummer for the area in which he lives, around Thionk-Essyl, in the Casamance region of southern Senegal. Drummers such as Kaani play a central role in the key ceremonies and rituals of the communities who live in that area, where the drum is pretty much the sacred instrument. Quite aside from being a beautiful person, Kaani is a very fine drummer, and is dedicated to his craft and role.

As for the special verse, my partner, Carrie, introduced Kaani to the ukulele when we visited him in 2017, and it was certainly something to see him play it (the girls of the Badji household found it particularly hilarious, and were kept entertained for hours by Kaani's ukulele concerts).

Songs

Saturday, 18 April 2020

Jola Man Drummer (Kaani's Song)

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