very interesting document right here.

The Wangara, an Old Soninke Diaspora in West Africa?


More than a decade ago an article of mine on the Mande diaspora on the Malagueta coast and Sierra Leone appeared in this journal (Massing 1985). Inspired since then by the Mande colonies further to the east, in Burkina Faso, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, I have investigated some of the older elements, neglected then, which have played an important role in the history and diaspora of the Western Sudan and were important in the exchange between the Guinea coast and the Sahel, and attempted to clarify their identity and context. While Dupuis (1966), Wilks (1982, 1995), Lovejoy (1978), Fuglestead (1978), Law (1995) and others have dealt with the Wangara in specific contexts, namely the trade in Hausaland in the 16th century or in the Mande-Akan borderland in the 19th century1, I will attempt to outline here the overall context and cover the entire historical time span from ancient to modern Ghana and the geographical range from Mauritania to Northern Nigeria.

The Wangara, while revealing slightly different identities at different times and in different regions, and being tied at times to specific localities, while at other times covering vast geographic ranges, nevertheless show a common denominator: involvement in the long-distance trade between desert- side and forest fringe and in the propagation of Islamic faith.

I attempt to document Wangara identity through a) careful analysis of primary historical sources, b) cross-checking of secondary sources with contemporary oral testimony, and c) my own investigations into oral history of Malian, Ivorian, and Ghanaian settlements and clans in order to derive the clues necessary for identifying their origins and activities.

The Wangara in the Context of Mali

10 Valentim Fernandes, factory manager at Arguim, obtained important information on the Malian gold (...)

Ibn Battouta and Ibn Khaldoun are the primary sources for the Malian period; the first Portuguese source seems to date from 145510. But the Wangara are mentioned in Mali from the time of the victory of Sunjata over Sumanguru (c. 1230) until the 15th century (Niane 1982: 3). The Tarikh es-Sudan (Houdas 1981: 18-20) and Tarikh el-Fettach (Houdas & Delafosse 1913: 40-41, 74-78), written during the Songhay period, relate earlier material from the period of Mali's dominance in the middle Niger.

Visiting Mali from 1352 to 1354 at the time of Mansa Suleiman, Ibn Battuta identified southern black merchants in the desert-side town of Zaghari as Wanjarata:


"After a distance of ten days' travel from Îwâlâtan, we arrived at the village of Zâgharî, which is a big place with black merchants living in it. They are called Wanjarâta, and there live with them a group of white men who follow the sect of the Ibâdî from amongst the Khârijites. They are called Saghanaghû. The Sunni mâliki among the white men in that country are called Tûrî. From this town anlî is brought to Îwâlâtan. Then we went on from Zâgharî and arrived at the great river, the Nile. On it is the town of Kârsakhû. The Nile descends from it to Kâbara, then to Zâgha. Kâbara and Zâgha have two sultans who give obedience to the king of Malli. And the people of Zâgha are old in Islam, they are religious and seekers after knowledge. Then the Nile comes down from Zâgha to Tunbuktû [Timbuktu], then to Kawkaw [Gao], the two places we shall mention below. Then it comes to the town of Mûlî, which is the land of the Lîmiyyu¯n and is the last county of Malli" (Hamdun & King 1975: 32).

11 Cf. supra. The root Zagha- represents the Fulani word Sare-, Sara- as in Saredina, and Sarafere, (...)

Thus Zaghari, ten days journey distant from Walata, was not directly situated on the river. On the other hand Kabara, on the river, is the name of the port of Timbuktu, but also an old name for Lake Debo. Since its situation is given as downstream of Karsakhu, but upriver from Zagha, which itself was situated upriver of Timbuktu, Kabara seems to designate the Debo, and both Zaghari and Zagha--frequently mentioned in the Tarikhs--must have been situated to the south-west and upstream of Timbuktu. Zagha was the point of departure of the Wangara into Hausaland in the late 14th or early 15th century11.

12 More research into the Touré clan, one of the leading clans, on the middle Niger would be most in (...)

Ibn Battouta's remarks are of considerable interest for the relationship between different communities and their religions, between foreigners and indigenous people, and animists and Moslems: in Zaghari, the kings (maliks) were orthodox Sunni muslims, and of the Toure clan, while another part of the population belonged to the unorthodox sect of the Ibadites, and the Saganogo clan. This is to my knowledge the first reference to Malian clan names in Arab sources and establishes the Toure--who are often referred as Arma (Arama), descendants of Roum or pre-Arab North African soldiers and local women--well before the Moroccan invasion 12while the Sanogo from the "Ibadi sect of the Kharijites" were probably the imams. In contrast, the Wanjarata are clearly described as blacks merchants.

13 Cf. Ibn Khaldoun (1969b: 272; 278), information on the Kharedjite rite among the Zindjas of the M (...)

The distinction between Sunni and Ibadi points to a major religious rift in the area, one which continued among the Songhay at least until Mohammed Askia's time. While the kings followed the Sunni rite, the imams followed the Kharijia rite, a heterodox doctrine adopted by the Senhaja and Zenata Berber following the first wave of Islamic conversion. According to Ibn Khaldoun the dispute between Kharijite and Maliki rites originated over the mode of selection of the imam, with the older, "heterodox" Moslims, chosing the imams from local lineages, while the Maliki doctrine became prevalent with the growing influence of a new generation of Arab muallim trained in North African universities (at Kaïro, Kairouan or Tunes) who required that the imam should have a connection to the prophet, in particular be chosen from the prophet's mother's lineage, the Khoreichi13.

14 Information on the khoreich by the Sekou Koreichi, son Oumar Koreichi, old "chef de canton de Dia (...)
15 See Houdas (1981: 9-12) about Sunni origines. Sonni Ali is called the Great Tyrant, the Kharejite (...)

Mansa Musa is said to have brought one or several members of the Koreichi lineage on his return from the Hajj in 1324 to hold the imamship at his court14. But, more than hundred years later, Sonni Ali still adhered to the Kharijite doctrine, and for this reason is said to have organized the persecution and killing of the Timbuktu ulema in 1469 who were Sunni Malikites15.

16 "Malinke and Wangara are the sons of an early Malian king, the one chose royal power and reigned (...)

A Malian source, cited in the Tarikh es-Sudan, and apparently used by Niane, attempts to assimilate the Wangara to Malinke. The Tarikh makes a fundamental socio-professional distinction between Malinke and Wangara, claiming both to be of the same origin, the former being princes and warriors and the latter "traders who carry gold dust from country to country as the courtiers of princes" (Niane 1982: 3)16.

17 Cf. Baiao & Bensaude (1940: 52-54). See also Monod et al. (1951: 85-87).

In this context the information in V. Fernandes on Djenne is of prime importance and his description of the Ungaros is characteristic of the Wangara trade of the time17.

^^

Sybellah:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1xRybtMP1M

Kamaldine is so beautiful , I always thought se was soussou

Sysy: very interesting document right here.

The Wangara, an Old Soninke Diaspora in West Africa?


More than a decade ago an article of mine on the Mande diaspora on the Malagueta coast and Sierra Leone appeared in this journal (Massing 1985). Inspired since then by the Mande colonies further to the east, in Burkina Faso, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, I have investigated some of the older elements, neglected then, which have played an important role in the history and diaspora of the Western Sudan and were important in the exchange between the Guinea coast and the Sahel, and attempted to clarify their identity and context. While Dupuis (1966), Wilks (1982, 1995), Lovejoy (1978), Fuglestead (1978), Law (1995) and others have dealt with the Wangara in specific contexts, namely the trade in Hausaland in the 16th century or in the Mande-Akan borderland in the 19th century1, I will attempt to outline here the overall context and cover the entire historical time span from ancient to modern Ghana and the geographical range from Mauritania to Northern Nigeria.

The Wangara, while revealing slightly different identities at different times and in different regions, and being tied at times to specific localities, while at other times covering vast geographic ranges, nevertheless show a common denominator: involvement in the long-distance trade between desert- side and forest fringe and in the propagation of Islamic faith.

I attempt to document Wangara identity through a) careful analysis of primary historical sources, b) cross-checking of secondary sources with contemporary oral testimony, and c) my own investigations into oral history of Malian, Ivorian, and Ghanaian settlements and clans in order to derive the clues necessary for identifying their origins and activities.

I know a wangara... He is Diakhanke, diakhankes are basically a soninke branch living in southern Senegal and in guinea . THey have soninke names

thiendella:

I know a wangara... He is Diakhanke, diakhankes are basically a soninke branch living in southern Senegal and in guinea . THey have soninke names

u should check out this link: http://etudesafricaines.revues.org/175

The entire document is there, very interesting.

Sysy: Oumou Sangare performing falling with Alicia Keys

Mali


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBpInJbiw6M

Great diva, she is fulani from wasulu, I know fulanis from wasulu speak bambara as their mother tongue ....

thiendella:
Kamaldine is so beautiful , I always thought se was soussou

nah i believe she is malinke, on one of her vids, i ve seen a couple of people complaining about not really understanding the malinke in which she was singing, i guess she is singing in some form of Ivorian Malinke

thiendella:
Great diva, she is fulani from wasulu, I know fulanis from wasulu speak bambara as their mother tongue ....

yup i Know, but she sing beautifully in Bambara so i wanted to post it, she is one of the pioner of mandinka music

I knew she was fula, but did not know she was from wasulu
The wasulu in CIV are Malinke but say that they descend from the fula. I don't know how close their culture is from fulani.

Sybellah:

u should check out this link: http://etudesafricaines.revues.org/175

The entire document is there, very interesting.

Very interesting indeed , they say Bagayoko, fofana and haidara are soninke origin, I know a cissokho family from senegal who are soninke tooo... Hmmm I think a lot of mandinkas have soninke origins, and the soninke language is classified as a mande one ... Soninke language is like a proto mandinka IMO.
Do soninkes and mandinkas look very different ?

thiendella:
Very interesting indeed , they say Bagayoko, fofana and haidara are soninke origin, I know a cissokho family from senegal who are soninke tooo... Hmmm I think a lot of mandinkas have soninke origins, and the soninke language is classified as a mande one ... Soninke language is like a proto mandinka IMO.
Do soninkes and mandinkas look very different ?

Currently i do not believe so. In CIV they intermixed with the Malinke so most of them will simply tell u they are malinke or dioula. Maybe among the Mande in CIV they can tell the difference, but other cultures in CIV cannot usually tell who is Soninke or Malinke. In Mali however, they still make the difference between Bambara and Soninke, in Mauritania as well (where i think they may be the main mande speaking group). Is there Bambara and MALINKE in Mauritania? I know they have fula and Soninke, but never heard of a mauritanian bambara before.

I thought before Bakayoko was exclusive to CIV and Mali, some names are more popular there than in other manding places:
Bakayoko, Soumahoro, and Diomamde are mostly found in CIV i believe.
I thought Bamba too until i met a senegalese Bamba, i was quite surprise.

Sybellah: I knew she was fula, but did not know she was from wasulu
The wasulu in CIV are Malinke but say that they descend from the fula. I don't know how close their culture is from fulani.

I know , for being a fan that she labels herself as fulani, and fulanis from wasulu kept many aspects of the fulani culture but they lost the language. Oumou sangare sings in fulani too you , wasulu music adds fulani influences to mandinka ones, that's why it sounds so melodious.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vjvV5ursJI

thiendella:
I know , for being a fan that she labels herself as fulani, and fulanis from wasulu kept many aspects of the fulani culture but they lost the language. Oumou sangare sings in fulani too you , wasulu music adds fulani influences to mandinka ones, that's why it sounds so melodious.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vjvV5ursJI

Nice video!
What are your fav mandingue singers?

IIIIxRoyalxIIII: Beautiful Exchange here by two very Knowledgeable West African Ladies

Always a Joy to Learn From these Two

how sweet Royal! thank u

By the looks of things, it seems like the Wangara ethnic group are quite well known through out West Africa!
Got any pics of famous or non famous Wangara!?

Black Kenichi: By the looks of things, it seems like the Wangara ethnic group are quite well known through out West Africa!
Got any pics of famous or non famous Wangara!?

no i ve not been lookin for the pics yet, i ll work on that soon

Sybellah:

Nice video!
What are your fav mandingue singers?

I love mandinka music, Salif keita, Sekouba bambino, Aicha Koné , Jaliba kuyateh(gambian), Djene Doumbia, Mah kouyate
It's the best african music IMO

IIIIxRoyalxIIII: Beautiful Exchange here by two very Knowledgeable West African Ladies

Always a Joy to Learn From these Two

Why do you type in 2 different colors

thiendella:
I love mandinka music, Salif keita, Sekouba bambino, Aicha Koné , Jaliba kuyateh(gambian), Djene Doumbia, Mah kouyate
It's the best african music IMO

Salif Keita is awesome!
Here's one of his best songs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeTzJJNuRyw

Sybellah: I thought before Bakayoko was exclusive to CIV and Mali, some names are more popular there than in other manding places:
Bakayoko, Soumahoro, and Diomamde are mostly found in CIV i believe.
I thought Bamba too until i met a senegalese Bamba, i was quite surprise.

But Bamba is a first name un Senegal, not a patronymic , many senegalese are named Bamba after Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké, the founder of mouridism

[quote author=Black Kenichi]

Salif Keita is awesome!
Here's one of his best songs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeTzJJNuRyw[
/quote]
I really like this song , he is one one the greatest mandinka singers, together with Sory kandia kouyate, I think he has a lot of merit for that because he is not even a griot, and when non griots decide to sing, they usually suck

thiendella:
I love mandinka music, Salif keita, Sekouba bambino, Aicha Koné , Jaliba kuyateh(gambian), Djene Doumbia, Mah kouyate
It's the best african music IMO

great list!

my list is Salif Keita, Aicha Kone, Oumou Sangare, Amadou and Mariam, Rokia Traore, Mawa Traore and Alima
i ll post one of Alima's vid, her style is different, very soft i can listen to her for hours

thiendella:
But Bamba is a first name un Senegal, not a patronymic , many senegalese are named Bamba after Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké, the founder of mouridism

ok I see, do u know if Malian and Guinean have this name as surname as well ?

Gambian mandinkas are into hip hop too, sounds pretty good, they usually do a wolof part and a mandinka one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k6WiiqAT7M
I really like this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzjHZBxa564
and this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xebwui0NZq8