Circumcision Camp (01:46)

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Gambians perform dances during a circumcision ceremony.

Sacred Washing (02:11)

Circumcised boys are led to a sacred washing place. Traditionally, washing took place in a lake, but drought has forced the use of well water. A person with special powers wards off evil spirits.

Boys Dance (01:33)

Boys perform dances individually at a ceremony.

Kanute (02:56)

The Kanute extended family has impressive musical talent. One member plays an instrument; another sings.

Kanute Grandfather (01:54)

A man says his grandfather came to Gambia with his musical instruments, he was the first jali (singer/musician) in Gambia. People feared the king's reaction.

Lambang (02:40)

Jalis play Lambang for their own entertainment; husbands play for wives to dance.

Stringed Instrument (02:44)

A particular stringed instrument is constructed into symmetry and is said to connect with supernatural powers and to have accompanied warriors in battle.

Harvest Dance (02:38)

A mother performs a harvest dance, animated by water drum music. Food eaten during the performance is said to cure infertility.

Ancient Song (03:11)

Performers play one of the oldest Mandinka songs, originally composed for a famous emperor.

Amplifying Wife's Song (02:52)

The singer's husband amplifies her song with genealogies and epic narratives. A patron offers the woman singer money.

Mandinka Musical Legend (01:53)

Sunjata found the first musician, Balafaa Seexu Kuyaate, in the hollow of a tree; his instrument had only three keys.

Naming Ceremony (03:35)

At a naming ceremony, a baby is brought before elders for a blessing. A woman sings.

Wedding Song (02:00)

Drums accompany a wedding song, commemorating the marriage of people from two different tribes.

One-Stringed Instrument (01:42)

A man plays a one-stringed instrument connected with supernatural forces and narrates stories. A player is said to be able to see the future.

Circumcision Ceremony (03:11)

A circumcision event brings together boys from numerous ethnic groups in Gambia. Dancers perform. Someone plays a double xylophone.

Inspection (01:53)

Elders inspect circumcised boys before they are returned to their families. Dances continue.

Kora (02:03)

A man plays the Kora, a string instrument.

Singing (02:31)

A woman sings while a man plays instruments. Her husband comes from the provinces but now lives near the capital, Banjul.

Jaliyaa Practice and Change (02:12)

A practitioner talks about the first Jali. Jaliyaa used to be hereditary, but is now more open. A practitioner laments the departure from traditional Jaliyaa and the playing of music for money.

First Baloo Song (03:05)

A man talks about the training of female Jaliyaa in his wife's family. The first piece played on the baloo is a controversial question among historians, he says. He plays what is arguably the first such song.

Playing Instrument (02:42)

A man plays a piece on a stringed instrument. The piece used to be played on the kontingo. He says different types of jalis are recent; in the East, jaliyaa was indivisible.

Son Accompanies Father (01:32)

A son accompanies his father on a musical instrument.

Kanute Family Performs (04:21)

The Kanute family performs at its compound, singing and playing instruments.

Credits: Born Musicians: Traditional Music from the Gambia (01:03)

Credits: Born Musicians: Traditional Music from the Gambia