The
Dankunku Marrbantang Development Association – DAMDA in collaboration with the
National Center for Arts and Culture on Friday launched the 10th Edition of the
Marrbantang Festival, Dankunku slated for 7th to 9th December 2018 in Dankunku
village.
Marrbantang
Festival is organised by the DAMDA – a non-profitable youth organisation of
Dankunku village with the aim of fostering socio-economic development in the
Niamina Dankunku District and its surrounding communities.
Prior
to the launch of the 10th edition of the festival, Baba Ceesay, director
general of the National Centre for Arts and Culture stated that the support to
various festivals by the ministry and the center is espoused in the cultural
policy of the country due to the importance of festivals which serve as
unifying force in society irrespective of ethnic, religious or other sectional
affiliations.
As
a custodian of heritages, DG Ceesay expressed the center’s delight to associate
with the Dankunku’s popular and successful Marrbantang festival as it is not
only meant for singing and dancing alone, but visiting heritage sites among
other activities.
He
therefore urged the general public, philanthropists, government and private
institutions to support this and other Gambia festivals as they unfold.
Launching
the festival on behalf of the Dankunku Development Association at the NCAC
premises in Banjul, the King of Kora and Gambia Tourism Goodwill Ambassador,
Jaliba Kuyateh gave an in-depth background of Dankunku and its people. He said
the village in the good olden days was known for its rice production, hunting
and traditional music in which people like late Abdou Saidykhan had his name
engrained in the history of hunting in The Gambia; the mysterious Maye Mboge who
is widely believed to be at Mbulumanoto Island and Wandifeng Jobarteh, a Kora
legend who taught Lalo Kebba Drammeh kora and also the illustrious son of
Dankunku, Jaliba Kuyateh whose contribution to cultural revival cannot be
overemphasised.
Among
other things, he said Dankunku and its surroundings also have a lot of tourist
attractions with its wonderful islands, landscape and bird species. He noted
that since the inception of DAMDA, the association recognises culture as an
important unifier of its people and thus continues to accord high priority to
it by organising cultural festivals in Dankunku in partnership with the people
of Niamina.
He
thanked the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and its allied institutions for
their financial and technical contributions towards the festival. He disclosed
some of the outlined activities for this year’s edition, which will include
wonderful display of masquerades – four types of ‘Kankurang,’ ‘Maamo,’
traditional dancing and wrestling, a six hours birth place performance by
Jaliba Kuyateh and Kumareh Band.