THE JOKA JALO OR THE WORK APOLOGIST
Joka jaalo is a griot. But this lexical transposition alone does not reflect all of the reality covered by this griot specialist in a very specific field. In other words, if “jalo” goes to French by griot, the terminology “jookaa” for its part rather appeals to another specificity: that of work and - precisely - of the land.
This is to say that the name "jaaloo" or "jéli" ie "griot" is only a standard term referring to any professional speaking in the Mandé space, or even beyond.
If in most societies or ethnic groups the griot is transversal to all activities or social stratification, among the Mandingo, on the contrary, the griots are compartmentalized with clearly defined functions. If this is so, the griots are well specialized because it is allowed those of kings (genealogist and / or diplomat), certain singers and instrumentalists of festivals and other popular celebrations (jali), others who sing the scholars (fina jalo)…
THE JOOKAA: GRIOT ES-QUALITIES
But where the Mandingo genius stood out the most (you always have to stand out to be noticed!), It is to have invented a griot of excellence dedicated to workers. The "jookaa jalo" is a labor apologist. In the exercise of its very unique function, it has a binomial: the "timpo". This Mandingo word which translates into French by "taupe" does not, however, reflect all the reality covered by the container of this word. If in the Western tradition the image of the mole is pejorative because it is perceived, in a way, as a snitch or more exactly a spy, the Mandingo understanding, however, declines it as one who loves the earth in the sense of where the "timpo" is intimately related to her. In other words, if in Western thought the mole is judged as the one hiding underground - hence its character as a snitch - the "timpo" is placed underground because of the intimacy that binds him to her. The watermark image simply wants to show that the "timpo" is a great worker of the land, let's say a great cultivator.
THE JOOKAA SINGS THE WORSHIP OF WORK
Also, if the "timpo" is linked to the earth, it is the same with the "jookaa" which celebrates it by singing it. In the ancestral Mandingo tradition, the best of us, the bravest, are those who go to the field first. This is why the "joka jaloo" praises those who get up before the first light of the sun and go to the fields. These are real cultivating machines. While traditional griots sing about kings and nobles, the joka jaloo sings the workers' hymn to them to push them beyond their own limits. In other words, the jookaa jalo gives work all its grandeur and all its dignity.
SONGS AND A RHYTHM THAT PROMOTE SELF-GIVING
The Mandingo world is the only company to dedicate a g
riot at the service of workers. By this discovery, the Mandingo genius wanted to reduce the brave workers to the rank of king and noble. Moreover, the underlying idea in this practice of "jookaa" is the celebration of work and the ennobling of the worker. In practice, the rhythm of his song sets the pace at work, his words sing the values of work and encourage self-giving and surpassing.
A WHOLE PHILOSOPHY IN THE “JOOKAA / TIMPO” RELATIONSHIP
The "Jookaa" praises the attitude of the timpo who gets up early and goes to the field. And, to get up early, you have to be in control of your body. It is by being master of our body that we will be able to surpass ourselves and push the boundaries of our physical and mental capacities. If you don't succeed, you will be the laughing stock of society as the "joka jaloo" will taunt you in its tracks. For the "jookaa", if you give the body a bonus, it will take away your tone! It is this lack of energy that will intoxicate you and you will fall under the laws of laziness. To fall under his orders is to be his slave anyway. We will see that the fight that the “jookaa” leads is therefore that against the flesh and, at the same time, against oneself. In other words, the philosophy that the “jookaa” seeks to convey is, at first glance, the fight against our body that we will have to learn to dominate by all means. For the "jookaa", this is the fight worth fighting! The noblest victory is not the victory over others, but the victory against oneself, let's say against our body and its desires which pull us down like apathy, laziness, sleep, the languor…!
THEMES OF THE SONGS OF THE "JOOKAA"
For Mandingo thought, human is a being torn between two extremes: body and mind. It will therefore be a question of compressing the body so as not to leave any outlet where could
Marsassoum Sankoung Sagnan and Sény.
Негізгі бет JOKAA JALIYAA - Soly Sano + Farmers Poetrie / Spoken Word + Work Apologist /(Version Mandinka)
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