The Gambia can boast of a rich and diverse music culture owing to a multi ethnic and cultural society. More…
Kankurang
What is a masquerade?
Masquerade or mask is an individual dressed with masks to resemble an animal or some scary being. Masquerades are made with any of or a combination of clothes, papers, leaves, bark of tress, grass, horns of animals, sacks with decorated materials etc. Masquerades are more traditional amongst some ethnic groups e.g mandinka and Jola and with others like the wollof, masquerades are connected with celebrations. Mandinkas for example regard the kankurang as protectors of newly circumcised youths from evil spirits
Masquerades which speak in deep voices and communicate their message in proverbs and riddles are important in our community because they:
-serve as entertainment for the general public and for gracing occasions during certain times
-Masquerades assist in maintaining discipline and protecting members of the society from evil spirits and witches.
- Masquerades also serve as links between the human world and the spiritual world. During the time of making offerings and pouring of libation to the spiritual world, they become extremely functional for which great fear and respect are accorded to them by ordinary beings.
The Kankurang
This Kankurang masquerade is common among the mandinkas, the largest ethnic group in The Gambia and is an individual who wears a mask made of the bark and red fibre of the faara tree and is clothed in leaves. There are different types of Kankurang:
The Ifangbondi: This type of kankurang is believed to be an invisible spirit and very dangerous. Most often it does harm to evil doers. It is used to protect male initiates and only comes out at night.
The wulengo: It is used to protect circumcised youths from witches, evil doers and evil spirits. This kankurang should not be seen by children, women and uninitiated. It is strongly believed that a woman who sees it becomes barren.
The Jamba: This type of kankurang is in charge of enforcing discipline among members of the society. The Jamba is seen in occasions like marriage ceremonies, naming ceremonies, graduation ceremonies of initiates etc.
About the video: This video is from the late 1980's recorded by the Gambia Film Unit during the first Jangjanbureh cultural festival. Jangjangbureh is a town, founded in 1832 , on Janjanbureh Island in the River Gambia in eastern Gambia . It was formerly known as Georgetown and was the second largest in the country. It is now best known as home to Gambia's main prison . The Wassu stone circles lie near the town . (ps:The video is of poor quality)
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