Musa Ngum (or Musa Afia Ngum, also spelled as "Moussa Ngom"; born 1953 in

Fatoto Fatoto is a small town in eastern The Gambia, Gambia on the Gambia River. It is located in Kantora District in the Upper River Division. As of 2009, it had an estimated population of 1,685. Fatoto was a major market town in the Upper River Regi ...

Kantora District Kantora District is one of the four districts of the Upper River Division of the Gambia. It is the easternmost district of the country. The name derives from the Mandinka phrase "kana-ntoro," meaning "do not trouble me," referring to the disputes ...

in the

Upper River Division Upper River was one of the five Subdivisions of the Gambia, Divisions of the Gambia. Its capital was Basse Santa Su. It was subsequently reorganised as the Basse (Gambia), Basse Local Government Area, without any change in the area covered. Per ...

, The

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

; died 11 October 2015 at the Dantec Hospital ( Fr.: ''Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec''),

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

) was a singer and songwriter who was very popular in

and

. He was one of the pioneers of

mbalax Mbalax (or mbalakh) is the urban dance music of Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia. The musical style is rooted in the indigenous instrumental and vocal styles accompanied by polyrhythmic sabar drumming of the Wolof, a social identity that incl ...

music, and "helped to define the mbalax style of popular music in the Senegambia" and "had a strong influence on

Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, ; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' described him as, "perhaps the m ...

and other mbalax pioneers". He was "something of a cult icon back in the Senegambia region, and a pioneer of the mbalax fusion style". The mbalax, which originated from the Serer religious and ultra–conservative njuup music tradition sang during Ndut rites by circumcised boys (also referred to as "Kassak" songs) was the foundation of Ngum's music career. He mastered many of the njuup classics and built a name for himself while at the same time developing his voice. One of the reasons Youssou N'Dour considered him to be a major inspiration was because of his lyrics in "noble"

Wolof Wolof or Wollof may refer to: * Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * The Wolof or Jolof Empire, a medieval West African successor of the Mal ...

as opposed to "street" Wolof., ''Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique''.

Early life

Ngum was born in the village of

, Gambia, in 1953"Remembering a fallen Legend Musa Ngum"
, ''The Voice Gambia'', October 18, 2018. to Pa Antouman Ngum and Ya Ramou Nyang (full name Ramatoulaye Nyang) of Banjul.

Foroyaa ''Foroyaa'' is a newspaper located in Serrekunda, the Gambia. It was first launched in July 1987, and is owned by the People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), an opposition political party that was instrumental in b ...

, (TRIBUTE): ''Gambian Legendary Musician Musa Afia Ngum'' (October 20, 2015), by Mamour Mbenga

Through his mother Ramatoulaye Nyang, Musa Ngum is cousin to the Gambian statesman and historian

Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof Alieu Ebrima Cham Joof (22 October 1924 – 2 April 2011) commonly known as Cham Joof or Alhaji Cham Joof, (pen name: Alh. A.E. Cham Joof) was a Gambian historian, politician, author, trade unionist, broadcaster, radio programme director, scou ...

. His surname

Ngum Ngom can be: *A village in Nigeria *It is also spelt Ngum is a West African surname of the Serer people found in Senegal and the Gambia. Notable people with the surname Ngom include: * Dawda Ngum, Gambian footballer *Ousmane Ngom * Khady Yacine ...

also spelled as ''Ngom'' is a typical Serer surname within the

Senegambia region The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

. In a special interview with Raaki TV, Ngum stated that he is of Serer origin, and went on to state that "Wolof is not a tribe, but a language".

Career

As a youth, Ngum started his music training in ndut classical teachings, singing ultra-traditional

njuup The Njuup tradition is a Serer style of music rooted in the Ndut initiation rite, which is a rite of passage that young Serers must go through once in their lifetime as commanded in the Serer religion. The Culture trip "Youssou N'Dour: An Unlik ...

songs also known as kassack songs. He mastered many of the njuup classics and built a name for himself while at the same time developing his vocal range. He was the lead singer of Guelewar, as well as one of the lead singers of

Super Diamono Super Diamono was a ten-member band from Dakar, Senegal. It was formed in 1974 or 1975.Senegal 7, ''Anniversaire : Omar Pène souffle sur ses 63 bougies ce 28 décembre'', by Ibrahima Ka (December 28, 2019(retrieved February 13, 2020) Omar Pene wa ...

during the 1980s."Gambia’s superstar musician Musa Ngum dies"
, ''

The Point (the Gambia) ''The Point'' is a daily newspaper published in Bakau, the Gambia. History On 16 December 1991, ''The Point'' was founded by Pap Saine, Deyda Hydara, and Babucarr Gaye; Hydara and Saine had been friends since childhood. Gaye resigned four mon ...

'', October 12, 2015. He was also a solo artist, sometimes under his own name, and sometimes under the name "Moussa Ngom et l'Ensemble Lyrique Traditionnel du Senegal". As a

Pan-Africanist Pan-Africanism is a nationalist movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all indigenous peoples and diasporas of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the Trans-Sa ...

, Musa Ngum also actively worked to strengthen relations between Senegal and Gambia.

Personal life

Ngum married Sohna Jobe in the 1970s and together they have nine children, two girls and seven boys. One of Ngum's children is the award-winning singer and songwriter

Yusupha Ngum Yusupha Ngum is a singer and songwriter from Gambia, also known by the stage name "Joloffman". He has performed in a variety of styles, including mbalax, folk music, rap, jazz fusion, and Afro fusion music. Yusupha is currently based in Australia ...

. His older cousin is the veteran musician and "legend" —

Lie Ngum A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone. The practice of communicating lies is called lying. A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar. Lies can be int ...

(commonly known by his artistic name Abdel Kabirr), who was one of the original members of the Gelewar Band, and owner of the Taranga Beach Resort in the Gambia.

Death

On October 10, 2015, Ngum played a live concert in Dakar at club Just For You. The show was organized to mark his 40th anniversary in the entertainment industry. He performed alongside his son

and old friend and colleague

Omar Pene Omar Pene (born 28 December 1955) is a Senegalese vocalist and composer, who is the lead singer of Super Diamono, and is now a solo artist. Career Omar Pene was born in the working-class neighborhood of Derkle in Dakar into a wolof family. H ...

. Few hours after the show, he fell sick and was rushed to the Dantec Hospital in Dakar. In the early hours of Sunday, October 11, 2015, Ngum was reported dead. Ngum was buried in

Touba Touba (Hassaniya Arabic: , 'Felicity'; Wolof: Tuubaa) is a city in central Senegal, part of Diourbel Region and Mbacké district. With a population of 1,120,824 in 2023, it is the second most populated Senegalese city after Dakar. It is the h ...

on "Monday, October 12, 2015, the presence of thousands of mourners from both The Gambia and Senegal including his family, friends, fans, musicians and religious personalities and government officials." Youssou N'Dour and Omar Pene were among those who attended.

Legacy

Ngum's style of music is rooted in the ultra-traditional Senegalese music traditions that recalls the great empires, kingdoms, kings, queens and heroes of precolonial

. His lyrics are filled with goodwill messages and wisdom designed to educate his listeners of their history and culture, and the virtues of a good citizen. His

Pan-African Pan-Africanism is a nationalist movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all indigenous peoples and diasporas of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the Trans-Sa ...

believes are evident in his songs. He was one of the most famous Baifall ( fr) of his generation. He was a revolutionary Baifall and an ambassador to the Baifall sect. For decades, Ngum championed for a more united Senegambia (Senegal and Gambia)–under one president. He believed that, a united Senegambia would make a

United States of Africa The United States of Africa is a concept of a federation of some or all of the 54 sovereign states and two disputed states on the continent of Africa. The concept takes its origin from Marcus Garvey's 1924 poem "Hail, United States of Africa". ...

possible, because Senegalese and Gambians are the same people, speak the same languages, and share the same history and culture. Geographically, the Gambia is inside Senegal, surrounded by Senegal on all three sides. Historically, the people lived in kingdoms and empires, and the creation and separation of the two states was only a result of

European colonization The phenomenon of colonization is one that stretches around the globe and across time. Ancient and medieval colonialism was practiced by various civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Han Chinese, and A ...

. For decades, Ngum created his own style of fashion where he wore unmatching shoes. He used to call one of the pair "Senegal" and the other "Gambia". For many years, that became his trademark and symbolized his belief in the unification of the two States under one president and for a possible United Africa. On one of his last interviews with the Senegalese television network TFM–recorded some hours before his death, the topic of his unmatching shoes were brought up again by the TV anchor. Ngum told the interviewer that he would not stop wearing none-matching shoes until and unless there is one Senegambia led by one president. He said that his dream was to see Senegal and Gambia united under one president. In the Senegambia region, Ngum is regarded as a musical hero.

Partial Discography

With Guelewar

* 1979 ''Sama Yaye Demna N'Darr * 1980 ''Tasito'' * 1981 ''Warteef Jigeen'' * 1982 ''Dieuf Dieul Khadin Rassoul'' * 198? ''Xaley Ndakarou Vol. 2'' * 2011 ''Halleli N'Dakarou'' * 2012 ''Touki Ba Banjul: Acid Trip from Banjul to Dakar''

With Super Diamono

* 1985 ''Volume: Confederation'' * 1985 ''Volume: Pastêf'' * 1986 ''Borom Daarou'' * 1987 ''People''

Solo

* 1990 ''Banjul'' (under the name "Moussa Ngom et l'Ensemble Lyrique Traditionnel du Senegal") * 1995 ''Circulation Lampe Fall'' (under the name "Moussa Ngom et l'Ensemble Lyrique Traditionnel du Senegal") * 1995 ''(Goudi Ndakarou) En live au Sahel, Vol. 1'' (live album) * 1996 ''Gal Gui'' * 1998 ''Alahou'' * 1999 ''Artist'' * 2003 ''(Goudi Ndakarou) En live au Sahel, Vol. 2'' (live album) * 2006 ''Bajen Yandeh (Ngom)''

Awards

National Order of the Lion The National Order of the Lion () is the highest order of Senegal. The order was instituted by Law 60-36 of 22 October 1960 and was awarded to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I The FIRST as The Grand Cross of The National Order of the Lion ...

(

)

References

External links

*''Vidéo mort de Moussa Ngom témoignages de Youssou Ndour'', uploaded on TFM's official YouTube Channel (Tribute by Youssou N'Dour to Musa Ngum), uploaded on Oct 13, 201

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngum, Musa Wolof-language singers Serer singers World music musicians People from Banjul Gambian Muslims Gambian pan-Africanists 1953 births 2015 deaths Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Senegal