After a week’s delay to honour the memory of the late Gambian vice president, the people of the historic Baddibu royal settlement of Illiassa will this weekend host a homecoming festival as well as launch a book on the legendary paramount chief, Mama Tamba Jammeh.
The former paramount chief, who reigned from 1928 to 1962, died in 1987. He is believed to have lived for about a 100 years and stories about his greatness are still found in the lyrics of many modern and folklore songs in many ethnic dialects.
Starting this Friday January 27 to Saturday the 28th, the ever-expanding Jammeh family and the community of Illiassa will welcome people from all walks of life to a two-day action-packed event to be marked with a festival and book launching. The book, authored by Ambassador Alieu Jammeh, a former minister and currently High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and grandson of Tamba, will be launched on Saturday afternoon at 3PM at Illiassa. It is titled, A Legend Sefo Mama Tamba Jammeh and it chronicles the life and times of this most powerful and revered traditional chief of the ancient empires of the Senegambia region. The festival will be graced by the Gambia police band and climaxes with a musical jamboree at night featuring Kora maestro Dr Jaliba Juyateh and a host of other artists. Jaliba will also make a solo performance during the book launching on Saturday.
“The whole country is invited to this historic event as it is designed to reconnect all to our roots, tradition and cultures,” a member of the organizing committee told The Standard.
