Activist urges boycott of Jaliba song for ‘elected’ Gambian President

Jaliba Kuyateh, Gambia’s kora maestro, released a new song for the elected president Adama Barrow whose election has been reversed.

Malick stressed that, “We must not allow ourselves to be dragged back to such which has affected our growth as a country and people since independence. Leaders are servant sof the people and must not be seen to be Kings to be praise like the generation of Burmai Sonko or Burr Saloum." He noted that such should be discouraged in the #NewGambia it would only empower the President and degrade the citizenry.

“Let's spread the message with the hastag #BoycottTheJalibaSong," he said, "after successfully changing the government which was undoubtedly undemocratic by all standards, the time has come for Gambians to be sensible enough to put in place ways and means of making sure that our rights are never ever trampled upon again.”

Nyang Njie, described Jaliba Kuyateh is a shameless opportunist who kept quiet when Gambians were suffering. 

“He has no place in the New Gambia as he is another fake," he said. "The Gambian is not looking for praise singers or loud mouths. Please redeem yourself brother Jaliba before you come out to appease us." He added that Mr Kuyateh had a platform and a microphone to denounce injustice but looked away "despite his big mouth and amplified microphone."

Omid ‘Sekou’ Wisdom, a hip- hop artist, said Jaliba is known for being able to travel and stay overseas, an environment where he would have been able as an elder speak truth to the problems the country was facing, but he did not. “Fine, as he is a praise singer like you say, you might suggest that it was not his job to sing praise to truth but griots were known to not only be praised singers but 'storytellers' as well. Why he never used this 'oral narration' methodology to narrate what was going on in the country is not even the focus of this argument or the people's desire to boycott the song."

He added that it is too early to encourage praise singing. This, he claimed, led to Jammeh turning the giving out of 'appreciation' and 'tokens' into a direct squandering of the tax payers' money to these praise singers be it from Gambia or Senegal: "You cannot tell me griots do it for 'free' or simply put of goodwill. This is not uncommon knowledge to all. "Let him sing the praises of the Gambian people and remind Barrow of his servant responsibility to the people for he has already failed us in his duties as a 'storyteller',” Sekou said.

Since announcing his decision to accept the election results, President Jammeh of the Gambia has changed his position.