By Lamin Cham
Historic Baddibu royal settlement Illiassa will this weekend host a homecoming festival as well as launch a book on the legendary paramount chief, Mama Tamba Jammeh, who reigned from 1928 to 1962 and whose greatness is still found in the lyrics of many modern and folklore songs in many ethnic dialects. He was born in 1880 and died in 1987.
This weekend, the ever-expanding Jammeh family and the community of Illiassa, his native village, will welcome people from all walks of life at home and abroad. The two-day event will be marked by a festival and a book launch. The book authored by Ambassador Alieu Jammeh, a former minister and currently High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and grandson to Tamba, will be launched on Saturday 21st January at 3PM at Illiassa. It is title A Legend Sefo Mama Tamba Jammeh and it chronicles the life and time of this most powerful and revered traditional chief, the ancient empires of the Senegambia region.
The festival, which begins Friday will climax with a musical jamboree on the Saturday January 21, expected to feature kora maestro Jaliba Juyateh and a host of other artists. “The whole county is invited to this historic event as it is designed to reconnect all to our roots, tradition and cultures,” a member of the organization said.
