Friday, July 31, 2009

Batik tie and dye

Focusing, interacting and observing the unique cultures and styles on any trips are refer to as cultural tourism. The concept of learning from other cultures to broaden ones perspective is usually a core value. Learning and acquiring a new knowledge on any handicraft or whatsoever would be a form of cultural tourism.



Buying crafts in the craft market with no interaction, focus and knowledge than the exchange of money does not provide the insight into another culture which is the central theme of cultural tourism.


Tourisphere has discovered the interest of some tourists to the Gambia in cultural tourism. Going round the Bakau Craft markets in this ongoing 9th Edition of International Root Festival, Rose Batik workshop, Bakau was the focus of some visitors and tourists who visited the stall to browse and buy from the numerous designed and neatly displayed batik materials at the stall. As some are buying, some are as well learning how to design and produce some nice batik for themselves.


Batik is a popular locally made textile materials that serve different purposes, according to Mr Kabir Dubois, the proprietor of Rose Batik Workshop, and also a former employee at MRC up to 1991 said “batik is a resist techniques used in the Gambia. Batik was first introduced to the society by some countries in Asian, among are Indonesia, India and some others.


Batik is used for decoration; sew into different styles and wear, for souvenir and so on. To produce quality batik materials you need items like cloth – 100 percent cotton cut into different sizes of your choice, crayon for the design, a locally made pointed pencil called ‘jentting’, some melted candle wax and some colours. There are different types of batik in the market but the most attractive and well demanding is the 7-colour batik it is moving very fine in the market and it has really supercedes the old type of batik called 4-colour.


The simplest way of producing batik is the old traditional mode that involves the use of a hand carved wooden stamp, dipped in wax, and applied to the fabric to create a pleasing design. But the advent of 7-colour batik make it a bit tedious but with quality standard and this allowed the free design of choice that often portrays some familiar object of village life, such as an animal or a flower, human being, farm works and some other things that express thoughts.

After the application of the wax, the cloth is dyed, and then the wax is removed by dipping the fabric in a very hot water. The Asian’s producers of batik are using modern technologies to produce while here in the Gambia it is produced manually which is an advantage to many that wishes to learn especially tourists on their visit.


Some of this type of elaborate and contemporary techniques batik can be found in different craft markets in the Gambia such as Bakau, Banjul, Brikama among other places. Rose Batik workshop is a regular joint for western students during their trip to the Gambia. According to him learning batik work is very easy if you are good in art-drawing as you will be able to catch up under a period of one week but without the knowledge of art it will take you months.


Batik is very different from tie and dye though it is also a technique we used to color an ornament or cloth through what is known as resist dyeing. Resist dyeing means patterning either fabrics or yarn designed for fabrics by reserving some parts of the materials from dye to penetrate. In case of tie and dye, the resist is formed in a number of ways like tie raised portions with thread; folding or pleating; wrapping rolled or furled cloth with bands of string or best; with trick, a needle technique of stitching a thread through the cloth and drawing it tightly so that the folds will resist dye from penetration or a combination of the methods.


In any of your journey as a tourist it is a mater of learning and honoring local culture and valued them. Either long or jaunt visit do not let your journey be a photographed only, if you will like to know more what really your journey can offered you.

Our members are involved in Gambian restaurants, tours, excursions, eco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.

Please visit our website www.ttag.gm

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Gambia Four Wheel Drive Adventures

4 WD: Is a great opportunity to see and experience the real Gambia, this excursion will take you off the beaten track, either in a 4x4 Safari truck or Land Rover following the coastline stopping at villages along the way where you will meet the villagers and visit a local school.

Pens and books are always welcome gifts to the schools, please give any donations to the head teacher Please do not bring sweets.

Next stop , the palm wine tappers, you can sample the freshly tapped wine and learn more about how it’s produced. Lunch is served on one of the most naturally beautiful beaches in the South of the country and there will be a chance to swim and sunbathe .

The first stop of the afternoon is Tanji Village museum. This is a unique chance to find out more about Gambian culture and tradition, the tour guides will be happy to show you around the mock village and explain about village life and how it is set up. On the tour you will be able to watch the weavers making hand woven cloth. In the gardens they have some wonderful unusual flora and fauna.

From the Museum we head for the Tanji fishing village, here you can see and smell the local fish smoking industry close by and a possible chance to see the fishermen bring their catches in. As we head back to the hotels we will make unscheduled stops to observe, monkeys, baboons and the many exotic and colourful birds on the way.

South Gambia Experience: Go beyond the routes of normal tourist excursions and visit the remote and isolated area of Southern Gambia combined with a cruise on the River which divides us from neighboring Senegal. As you drive through Savannah like hinterland, towards the border, you will experience an excellent view of our countryside.

On route you will visit the reptile farm where you can see many different species of snakes and lizards that reside in the Gambia, the next stop is at a local Art Gallery for drinks and snacks before proceeding to the peaceful Kartong beach where a traditional river craft is waiting to take you for a cruise around various inlets and islands of the Allahein River.

The scenery varies from mangroves to open mud flats where the banks are full of oyster. Monkeys and varied bird life can be spotted from this peaceful area.. Local fishermen can often be seen digging for mussels in the mud or collecting oysters from the mangroves. After about two hours cruising we will stop for lunch . On the return journey we will drive close to the beach before arriving at our various hotels.


Our members are involved in Gambian restaurants, tours, excursions, eco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.
Please visit our website http://www.ttag.gm/

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Gambian Restaurants

No holiday is complete without good food. One of the best kept secrets of The Gambia is the vast variety of restaurants! The Gambia is a melting pot of cultures and because of this you will find a wide selection of restaurants from many origins.


Most restaurants are family run establishments offering an authentic flavour to their individual cuisine.

Sample some typical Gambian dishes during your stay like:
Pepeh Soup
This is a tasty thick stew which is very easy to make. Very spicy and it’s commonly prepared with fish, cow leg or foot wit the bone into to the stock.


Domoda
This is a typical mandinka dish made from groundnuts in most part of the Gambia. As the name implies, “Domo” means eating whilst Da means the stew pot. The uniqueness is that the flavor of this wonderful piquant dish comes from the main ingredient of concentrated peanut paste. Domoda can be prepared with meat, beef or fish with lot of vegetables. This is a source of high protein and with nutritious value in this Gambian local dish.


Benachin
This is a popular Gambian dish, originated from the Wolof meaning cooking with one pot. As the name may suggest, just about anything can go in, this is Africa’s answer to a good risotto lady fish. Alternatively it can be made with beef.


Yassa
It is made with chicken or fish, the delicious tangy flavor or fresh lemons or limes make Yassa sauce a huge favorite in this part of the world and definitely recommended as one to try.

Enjoy your Gambia Holidays!

Our members are involved in Gambian restaurants, tours, excursions, eco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.
Please visit our website www.ttag.gm

Monday, July 20, 2009

Gambia Music & Culture


Music plays an important part of Gambian culture; “The drum” made of carved wood and goat skin seems a simple instrument, but drumming is not limited to musical entertainment like some of the music from the Americas or Europe, it has a serious application in many societies across the continent.


A native speaker of a language can often perceive a text or texts in the music. This effect also forms the basis of drum languages (talking drums)in days gone by drumming was used as a way of communicating. News would travel from village to villages by drumming. Many of the Western African tribes are well known for their use of drumming in daily activities or special events. The drums are the main tool used to inform members of their respective tribes when something major occurs within the tribe. Drums can inform members of death, funerals, meetings, or upcoming celebration. In the past it was used as a warning of imminent attack.

The drum is the sign of life; its beat is the heartbeat of the community. Such is the power of the drum to evoke emotions, to touch the souls of those who hear its rhythms. The beating of the drum is an opportunity to give one another a sense of belonging and of solidarity. It is a time to connect with each other, to be part of that collective rhythm of the life in which young and old, rich and poor, men and women are all invited to contribute to the society.



Wrestling
The beat of the drum is used to evoke the emotion of the contester and create an excitement in the arena. Modern traditional wrestling has evolved as a modified version of the real combat techniques. Traditionally, all the boys in a village were taught how to wrestle. The ones that showed skill and promise were held in high regard as a man regardless of class, it is one of the oldest traditional sports in Gambia and wrestling festivals are a common occurrence. Leg locks are permitted but there are no patterned arm or head locks, or complicated points system.
The object of the game is simply to throw one's opponent to the ground. The first wrestler down in the bout loses the contest. The most common style of grappling is shown among the Mandinka, Fulas and Jolas. It involves each opponent grabbing each other's trunks at the start of the bout. After some strategic manoeuvrings each one would attempt to throw the other to the ground. Serers on the other hand prefer to go straight for the legs and render their opponent off-balance.



Traditional music
Is mostly functional in nature, there are for example, many different kinds of work songs, some of the drumming that goes on in the middle of the day even helps women and men of the tribe get daily chores done quicker as the drums allow them to follow a rhythm while they work, Ceremonial or religious music accompanies childbirth, marriage, hunting, and even political activities.
Ceremonial music

Will often be accompanied by the Balafone and the Kora which has a harp like sound and is made from the Calabash. The player uses only the thumb and index finger of both hands to pluck the strings in poly rhythmic patterns.The combination of instruments used depends on the tribe, A male griots, or praise singers are traditionally heard at weddings and infant naming ceremonies, born into the profession most often act as a solo or duo instrumentalist. They attend the ceremonies to bring good luck by accompanying praise songs and historical recitations. In some areas it may form part of a larger group including a Kora, a calabash, flute and/or a Tamo Drums.


The griots or “Jali” society was as a historian, advisor, arbitrator, praise singer and storyteller. Essentially, these musicians were walking history books, preserving their ancient stories and traditions through song. Their inherited tradition was passed down through generations. They were said to have deep connections to spiritual, social, or political powers as music is associated as such. Speech is also said to have power as it can recreate history.

The talking drums(Tamo) are some of the oldest instruments used by west African griots and their history can be traced back to ancient Ghana Empire. Many have developed a highly sophisticated genre of griot music centering on the talking drum.



Our members are involved in Gambian restaurants, tours, excursions, eco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Gambia Cultural Extravaganza

Kanilai International Cultural Festival
Attracts thousands of people from Gambia and the Diaspora who all converge on the village of Kanilai in the Foni Kansala District of Western Region, which is the country home and birth place of President Jammeh.


This Cultural Festival is normally held in June Bi–annually has now become a household name where you can join in and enjoy the cultural shows and dancing for this 16 day festival.

Roots Home coming Festival: Is a historical, cultural and educational event which invites all people of African descent and all persons committed to the well being of Africans and the development of Africa, to come home to The Gambia and participate in the festival, normally held in June bi–annually to the opposite year of the Kanilai Festival!

If you are unable to attend either of the festivals but would like to experience some of the wonderful culture Gambia has to offer, two of the most spectacular places to be entertained are Makasuitu and Kim Kombo , each with their own unique display of cultural entertainment.

Makasutu: Offers their “NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA “ Watch the torch light precession float down the creeks where they will come ashore and entertain you with African dancing, fire eating and cultural entertainment enjoy a buffet dinner of African/European cuisine.

Kim Kombo: Offers a special “AFRICAN NIGHT“ twice weekly with original dance troops, included is a buffet dinner of African/European food AND as much of the local made liqueurs as you can drink.!


Our members are involved in Gambian restaurants, tours, excursions, eco-tourism, car rentals, and shops within the vibrant Gambia Tourism Industry.

Please visit our website http://www.ttag.gm/