The Muslim wars of conversion to Islam in 19th century Gambia and Senegal produced dozens of songs about local heroes. One of these was Demba Hajada, a general who welcomed any invitation to fight, no matter how dangerous. Dembo turned this into a dance song, and during their 1987 British tour he and Kausu played this as their last number, dancing their way through the audiences. "Listen to the dancing. No matter which way you turn, war is unavoidable; if your horse can’t run, don’t take it to battle. There are strong fighters like palm-tree fellers: you risk your freedom. Listen to the sound of the brave ‘refusers’."
24 дек 2021
