Le KANKOURANG est menacé !
In recent years, controversies, cycles of tension, and cases of homicides resulting from the Kankourang protest have been noted. These are symptoms of much deeper ills, which require exceptional emergency measures involving communities, experts, non-governmental organizations, and the Senegalese government.
For historical background, the Kankourang is the sacred mask that appears during the initiatory event that also bears the same name. Mbour is the northernmost city in which original Mandingo strains, mainly from the southeast of the greater Mandé, have been perpetuating this tradition for more than a century. This community, claiming to be Woyi and Gabu, has shown resilience and perseverance in order to adapt well and survive in a dynamic urban environment very open to the influences of modernity. The abundant economic activities are the basis of the attractiveness of the commune which has become a true melting pot.
Thus, when the territorial expansion of the city and climate change got the better of the last wooden districts, the seclusion sites retreated inside the city, which offers more security and serenity to the young circumcised people, subjected to the initiation of Kankourang. By studying the conditions of installation and the historical trajectory of the Mandingo community in the locality, we find a form of openness that offers possibilities of integration to other members of the ethnic groups through marriage for women or initiation for men (bauf).
The Mbour region has actively contributed to the national reputation of Kankourang due to the seriousness that custodians attach to their ancestral heritage and the general enthusiasm noted among the local populations. The music, dances, songs and accoutrements retain meanings that only initiates are capable of dissecting, erase individualities and merge the participants into a homogeneous and moving cultural whole. The noted public jubilation testifies to the power of the social entity mother of the Kankourang ceremony. For several decades, every September, the Mbourois mobilize to celebrate this cultural expression which has a real economic impact.
Because of the outstanding universal value of Kankourang from the point of view of history, art and science, the State of Senegal, together with the sister Republic of Gambia, proudly proposed its inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005. Inscribed in 2008, it will be joined on the list by Xooy, a divinatory ceremony among the Serer, in 2013 and by Ceebu jën, the culinary art of Senegal in 2021. These classifications are in themselves titles of recognition, consecrations of the genius of communities who have secreted exceptional attitudes, knowledge and know-how in order to constitute and maintain their souls.
Despite the delay in implementing measures to compensate for the lack of a theoretical and normative framework aimed at preserving intangible cultural heritage, ethnic groups have continued to keep intact the structures of socialization and the channels for transmitting their heritage, despite the steamroller of modernity.
In itself, the 2003 UNESCO Convention constitutes a major step in the management of the intangible cultural heritage that characterizes Black African civilizations. It identifies the characteristics of intangible heritage, sets classification criteria, and defines the limits to be monitored and the conditions for intervention in the event of danger.
In the document containing the updated Operational Directives of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage, the General Assembly of States Parties expressly requests each State to:
“Adopt appropriate legal, technical, administrative and financial measures, including through the enforcement of intellectual property rights, the right to privacy and other appropriate forms of legal protection, to ensure that the rights of communities, groups and individuals who create, hold and transmit their intangible cultural heritage are duly protected…” (Unesco: 2024-57).
Faced with the current situation in the department of Mbour, the State's responsibility is more than ever engaged in the face of the crisis in which this beautiful cultural expression is now deeply entangled.
The economic and folkloric aspects can hardly prevail over the sacredness and social values of Kankourang and open the door to excesses that could damage its reputation.
It will not be a matter of simply producing laws and decrees to slow down the trivialization of this extraordinary ancestral legacy. For this intangible cultural heritage, dynamic by nature, a comprehensive management strategy is required, including a forward-looking approach to anticipate the trajectory.
Better still, it is absolutely necessary to include it in the national sustainable development strategy by promoting its educational, symbolic, identity-building, and economic functions. To achieve this, it would be important to explore with communities the avenues offered by the modern world, those that have proven themselves elsewhere. Interpretation centers, museums, educational materials, audiovisual media, games, etc., the possibilities abound. However, the mobilization of human and material resources and involvement at the central level would be necessary.
In this process, the State should also help:
“to respect the nature of this heritage and the specific situations of the communities, groups or individuals concerned, in particular their choice of collective or individual management of their heritage, while providing them with the conditions necessary for the practice of their creative expressions”.
If this happens, if the course of social transformations continues without serious consideration of identity factors, implosion would be inevitable.
What economic power has been built without the foundations of a strong identity fueled by the pride of belonging to a strong and creative people?
Faced with Asian wisdom, American combativeness, and European pride, Teranga alone will not be enough to shine in the firmament of prosperous nations. The development model we aspire to must necessarily be underpinned by a scientific, human-centered approach.
Kankourang, like all the cultural expressions dear to the communities of Senegambia, still constitutes a sentinel, an extra-temporal capsule still preserving the seeds to be sown to nourish our essence in order to survive the peril that awaits us.
Dr. Mandiaye Fall, Expert in cultural heritage
Commentaires (11)
Oui l'état a une part de responsabilité mais il faut aussi signaler une forme d'abandon du kankourang à des non initiés qui n'ont aucune notions de la sacralite ou du mythe que représente le kankourang. Aujourd'hui, les mandingues de la casamance jusqu'à leurs refuge de Mbour sont plus versés dans une certaine forme de modernité qui fait que le kankourang est souvent sorti par des gens qui n'ont rien à voir avec le symbole, le sens et le mythe du kankourang. Ce que reoresentait l'un des plus grand héritier du kankourang à savoir Daouda Sane n'a rien à voir avec le kankourang d'avoir (cette chanson que même nos soldats utilisent comme chanson fétiche : Daouda Sane kulo boutée). Même moi qui prenait la fuite pour me mettre à 100 mètres du kankourang à ziguinchor aujourd'hui je ne me vois pas en train d'avoir cette même peur.
J'ai vu sur des vidéos des kankourangs habillés en paille avec un baton au sommet, sur leur tete. Ils dansent d'une manière qui défie la gravité, en tournant par exemple avec le baton appuyé sur le sol. Parfois le kankourang aussi s'allonge sur plusieurs mètres, parfois il roule sur du feu sans bruler. Comment cela se fait-il ? N'y a-t-il pas trucage ?Je suis Senegalais et ma question peut sembler bete, mais depuis de 25 ans, je ne suis jamais resté plus d'un mois par an au Senegal, peut-être c'est pourquoi je ne m'y connais pas.
Assane ce que vous decrivez est le "koumpo" different du kangkourang.
886, Merci. Grace au mot "Koumpa", j'ai posé la question a Chatgpt et ai eu les réponses.
Et apres?
Leur libertè de Kankourang ne doit point entraver la liberte des autres de vaquer a leur quotidient
Arretez vos foutaises.
Ramen’s vos “villageries” au rural et sachez Que c est de la recreation.
A vous vos croyances et aux autres des croyances differences.
Coexister ne signiifiera point fuir un agresseur culture element justifiè.
Au une quantitè de KEBETOU n y changera
Devenez des vitamin ou returned avec votre kankourang au village
Exactement sama Serigne. Parfaitement en phase avec vous. Trop de timtamarre pour rien, une culture ne doit pas être violente, toute violence aboutit au rejet et a la haine. Transmettons a nos generation future la culture de la paix et du développement monsieur l'expert, une culture de la mort perd tout son charme et sera rejetee. Respectons nous d'abord et ceci sera reciproque.
C est la sauvagerie qui tourne autour qui est menacée, le Kankourang dans pas sa place en ville en brousse ouais
Le Kankourang n'est pas menace, il est en train de mourrir de sa belle mort, trop de violence Mr l'expert. C'est une culture de la peur et de la mort. Rien d'attractif sauf pour les tares.
c'est les wolofs qui sont en train de mal parler du kankourang alors que c'est eux les plus grands sauvages non civilisés de ce pays, pourquoi le sénégal n'avance pas ? c'est eux
Les wolofscn'ont rien fait, c'est la société qui avance, trop de culture tué la culture et y a trop da kankourang à mon avis, pour les gens, c'est juste du simb. Nga balema.
On ne veut pas de la violence. Si le kankourang est source de violence, on en veut pas non plus.
C'est aussi simple que ça. PAS DE KANKOURANG
Le kankourang ne peut pas être menacé.
Prenez les Magal ou il y'a autant de morts sur les routes pourtant il n'a jamais été menacé...
Au paravent, ce sont les personnes mâture qui s'occupaient des kankourang ! Mais maintenant ce sont des moins 18 ans. Donc la solution, c'est de revoir les choses et non le faire disparaître.
@Zeum,
Je suis contre le magal. Mais que le magal ne relève pas de la culture, mais de la religion et les morts ne sont pas causé par la violence gratuite, les conflits, des bagarres, mais par des accidents de route, certes de l'incivisme pour la plupart des cas, mais c'est différent. Ce sont des homicides involontaires.
... avec les autres sans traditions et culture authentique : oui, ils préfèrent la tradition du vol, du cul et du commerce ...
... et ils préfèrent les traditions arabes : violence et 🤮
Pardon ramenez les kankourangs au village et laissez nos villes en paix.
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