Sagari Sambou and Ekona Diatta 2 7 23 07

I visited the Gambia in 2007, to learn about the akonting (ekonting) an African musical instrument that is now widely considered to be an ancestor to the banjo. For me, the most striking things about the akonting was (and is) that the right hand motion is so similar to clawhammer and minstrel /stroke --style playing as described in banjo instructional books published in the 1850's and 1860's.
My guide and host was Daniel Jatta, who was raised in the village of Mandinari. Daniel was a generous and knowledgeable host. He introduced me to Remi and Ekona Diatta, (nephew and uncle who live in Mlomp, Senegal) who I have come to regard as master musicians.
The akonting players of Daniel's youth were almost all gone by the time I visited. However, Sagari Sambou, apparently the last akonting player in Mandinary lived nearby. Ekona, Daniel and I went to visit. Sagari was not feeling well, and only played for us a little. Soon Ekona was handed the akonting,
Ulf Jagfors stated in a recent email " We do not know ( he didn´t) for sure how old he was but my best guess is somewhere around 75-80 years of age. As they say in Gambia, age is just numbers. We have a video interview with him and a short clip of him playing the Akonting and also dance Jola dances. He was the closest friend to Daniel Jatta´s father in Mandinari Village. Several on this list has meet him. He attended as elderly guest of honor at the last traditional festival of traditional music in Mandinari village 2006. He is also on a video, shoot by me in Mandinari Village 2002. leading the Ekonting playing team of Si Jambukan. Selected part of that video can be seen on a monitor at the Senegambian display booth in the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix as an demonstration of Ekonting playing and Jola dancing. Great honor and memory for him."

[@louisdiatta4961]

Ah ma très chère Casamance; j'ai la chaire de poule quand j'écoute mon frère Ekona.
Que le bon Dieu vous assiste dans vos projets. Mille fois merci pour cette séquence d'ékonting

[@moustaphasarr7965]

Vraiment un as ,mille fois merci

[@adamadiatta7656]

The feeling is si profoundly the Roots of many world music genre from America.

[@ChuckLevy]

Particularly American old-time and minstrel music!

[@Prone2Thrill]

So important to record as many types of music and artists as possible people - you can record history too. Great job - I found Remi from the video on Appalachian music roots because of the banjo origins. I also am a fan of Fela Kuti and his sons. I wish I had an English translation of this song.

[@salifgoudiaby3962]

de par cette musique, je comprends jusqu'à quel point l homme est lié à sa racine !! même si on ne comprend pas les paroles mais y a cette sensation branché directement à la racine !!

[@abdoudiedhiou7322]

Ho c super

[@tastas3880]

I'm a American habachi chef I pay the gourd style would think the akonting would be a good fit to that asian style??? I'm so proud to be apart of the disfunction 2020s...

[@sungod2694]

Merci chuck, thank you

[@orangetoes223]

It’s like prehistoric bluegrass

[@ChuckLevy]

Kind of is.