The Jola or Diola (
endonym: Ajamat) are an
ethnic group found in
Senegal,
the Gambia, and
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...
. Most Jola live in small villages scattered throughout Senegal, especially in the
Lower Casamance region.
The main dialect of the Jola language,
Fogni, is one of the six
national languages of Senegal.
Their economy has been based on
wet rice cultivation for at least one thousand years. This system has been characterized "one of the most significant examples of 'agrarian civilizations' in
West Africa". However, the Jola probably reached the Lower Casamance region in the 14th century, assimilating the previous
Bainuk people
The Bainuk people (also called Banyuk, Banun, Banyun, Bainouk, Bainunk, Banyum, Bagnoun, Banhum, Banyung, Ñuñ, Elomay, or Elunay) are an ethnic group that today lives primarily in Senegal as well as in parts of Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
Histo ...
and their rice tradition.
In colonial times, the Jola began to cultivate
peanuts as a
cash crop
A cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") in subsisten ...
in the drier forests.
Other activities include
palm wine tapping,
honey collecting, livestock rearing and the production of other crops such as sweet potatoes, yams and watermelon.
The traditional religion of the Jola is
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...
, which is practised through
fetishistic
A fetish (derived from the French , which comes from the Portuguese , and this in turn from Latin , 'artificial' and , 'to make') is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over oth ...
rituals and ceremonies. However, the Jola populations living in well-connected areas have become
Islamized
Islamization, Islamicization, or Islamification ( ar, أسلمة, translit=aslamāh), refers to the process through which a society shifts towards the religion of Islam and becomes largely Muslim. Societal Islamization has historically occurre ...
due to the influence of the nearby
Mandinka people
The Mandinka or Malinke are a West African ethnic group primarily found in southern Mali, the Gambia and eastern Guinea. Numbering about 11 million, they are the largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of the largest ethnic-linguistic gro ...
. As a result, many Jola no longer speak their own language and more than half are now Muslims.
Unlike the dominant cultures of West Africa, most Jola communities lack any social or political stratification, being organized into families or neighborhoods. However, some communities have a central authority, a King, whose role resembles more that of a priest than of a traditional secular leader.
The most prominent Jola Kingdom is in
Oussouye
Oussouye (or Husuy in JolaWilson, William André Auquier. 2007. ''Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification''. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.) is an urban commune in the Ous ...
.
Among the Muslim Jola, there is also the
Marabout, a religious leader and teacher. Traditional animist rituals are overseen by elders, who have an important role in Jola society. For Jola boys to attain manhood, they must take part in the initiation festival known as ''
futamp'', which takes place every 15 to 20 years in every Jola village.
Name
The word 'Jola' is the
Mandinka Mandinka, Mandika, Mandinkha, Mandinko, or Mandingo may refer to:
Media
* ''Mandingo'' (novel), a bestselling novel published in 1957
* ''Mandingo'' (film), a 1975 film based on the eponymous 1957 novel
* ''Mandingo (play)'', a play by Jack Kir ...
name for this ethnic group and means 'payback', since Jolas are renowned for doing back what's been done to them, be it a good or a bad deed. The name of the Jola tribe in their own language is Ajamat (singular) or Ajamataw (plural). 'Diola' is the traditional
transliteration in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, which is also very common in English sources.
Language and subgroups
The Jola speak the
Jola language
Jola (Joola) or Diola is a dialect continuum spoken in Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. It belongs to the Bak branch of the Niger–Congo language family.
Name
The name ''Jola'' is an exonym, and may be from the Mandinka word ''joolaa ...
, which is divided into a variety of
dialects which may not, at times, be mutually intelligible. These dialects correspond to the different Jola tribes:
*
Banjaal spoken in a small area south of the
Casamance River
The Casamance River () flows westward for the most part into the Atlantic Ocean along a path about in length. However, only are navigable. The Casamance is the principal river of the Kolda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor Regions in the southern p ...
.
*
Bayot spoken around
Ziguinchor
Ziguinchor (; wo, Siggcoor ; ar, زيغينكور) is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000 (2007 estimate). It ...
.
* KuDiola spoken in a handful of villages south of
Oussouye
Oussouye (or Husuy in JolaWilson, William André Auquier. 2007. ''Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification''. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.) is an urban commune in the Ous ...
.
*
Fogni (Kujamaat) spoken around
Bignona
Bignona is a town with commune status located in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal (Casamance). It briefly appears in the movie '' Binta and the Great Idea.''
Its population on 2013 was 27,826.
Notable people
*Landing Savané, politician
*Ibrah ...
.
*
Gusilay spoken in the village of
Thionck Essyl
Thionck Essyl (also called Tionk Essil) is a town in Ziguinchor, Senegal, located 65 km north-west of the region capital.
Etymology
The name of the town means "cook remaining crouched."
History
The origins of the town are connected to the k ...
.
*
Karon spoken along the coast of
Casamance
, settlement_type = Geographical region
, image_skyline = Senegal Casamance.png
, image_caption = Casamance in Senegal
, image_flag = Flag of Casamance.svg
, image_shield =
, motto ...
south of
Diouloulou.
*
Kasa spoken around
Oussouye
Oussouye (or Husuy in JolaWilson, William André Auquier. 2007. ''Guinea Languages of the Atlantic group: description and internal classification''. (Schriften zur Afrikanistik, 12.) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.) is an urban commune in the Ous ...
.
*
Kuwaataay spoken along the coast south of the
Casamance River
The Casamance River () flows westward for the most part into the Atlantic Ocean along a path about in length. However, only are navigable. The Casamance is the principal river of the Kolda, Sédhiou, and Ziguinchor Regions in the southern p ...
.
*
Mlomp spoken in the village of Mlomp.
Religion
Overall, more than half of Jolas (54%) are Muslims. In Gambia, 90% of Jolas are Muslims. Some Jolas continue to follow their traditional religion and rituals in spite of the influence of
Islam and
Christianity in recent times. Even though some accepted Islam after the Soninke-Marabout war, they honour the traditional use of palm wine in their rituals. They have one God that they associate with the natural phenomena like sky, rain, and the year, Emit or Ata Emit, literally, "To Whom Belongs The Universe" or "The Master-Owner Of The Universe". They have charms and sacred precincts that they honour and with which they communicate (but do not worship). The Jola people believe that spirits called ''Bakin'' or ''Eneerti'' (Mandinka ''Jalang'') can protect their families, their villages, and their rice fields; and can even protect them from conversion to Islam and Christianity.
Before the influence of Islam and Christianity in their ways of beliefs, all Jolas placed great respect in the proper observation of funeral ceremony, and still today some do, for they are of the belief that it enables the dead person's soul to go to its final destination to join his or her ancestors. It was and still is strongly accepted by those Jolas who still practice their ancestral religion that without performing these funeral sacred rites, the soul is prevented from entering the presence of the creator (Ata Amit), and the ancestors. Jolas believed strongly in living a good humanistic life in this world. They believe that if one lives a bad life in this world, when the person dies the soul of the dead person is punished to become an exile spirit with no bed to lie on. In the Jola Cassa subgroup this exile spirit is called a ''Holowa''. This exile spirit becomes a roaming spirit with no respect from the other spirits.
Some Jola religious festivals include the
Samay,
Kumpo and
Niasse.
Culture
Unlike most ethnic groups of the Senegambian region, the Jola do not have caste system of Jewels
griots,
slaves,
nobility, leather workers, etc. Their communities are based on extended clan settlements normally large enough to be given independent names, including the Jola Karon, Jola Mlomp, Jola Elinnkin, Jola Caginol, Jola Huluf, Jola Jamat, Jola Joheyt, Jola Bayot, Jola Brin, Jola Seleky, Jola Kabrouse, Jola Jiwat, and Jola Foni. Jolas are also able herbal medicine practitioners. Their high adaptation to the nature and environment allowed them to be able to create musical centred civilisation, natural medicine centred civilisation, and most important of all, rice cultivation centred civilisation which they do effectively by using a locally made farming tool called the
kajando.
Like some of the other the indigenous ethnic groups of the Senegambian region—the Baga, the
Balanta, the Konyagi, etc.—, the Jola ethnic group did not develop a political scale that expanded beyond village level compared to ethnic groups that migrated to the region like the Sonike and the Mandinka. But this does not mean they did not develop a sophisticated political system. The egalitarian nature of their societies (rare in most societies), structured around the limited village environment gave them the possibilities to develop a political system based on collective consciousness, which they worked through their initiation rites. In a sense the Jolas' political achievement in the village was socialism. It was totally tied to their religious belief in the Bakin. This political achievement is not easy to reach if the society that runs it does not have well-defined rules of administration and penalties. Jolas have many traditional economic activities like fishing, farming groundnuts, tapping palm wine, and processing palm oil: their most intensive economic activity is rice cultivation, which is tied closely to their religion and social organization. Jolas are also palm oil manufacturers and palm wine tappers in the Senegambian region. They farm cows, pigs, goats, chickens, sheep and ducks. Jola crafts include basket weaving, pottery, and building.
Elders are considered very important in Jola society and are believed to possess occult powers and guard societal traditions. In villages, a council of elders make many of the daily decisions for the community and exert much influence. Despite the patriarchal nature of Jola society, many women played major roles in the community and were often members in village councils, religious leaders, and landowners. Women are also important as cultivators of wet rice fields in which they predominated. Polygamy and genital mutilation are not practiced by the Jola although outside influence has made these more common in certain villages.
Music
Ekonting
The
ekonting is a three-string gourd instrument, the folk lute of the Jola people. It has an internal pass through body dowel stick with a round gourd body and its sound box is made of a hemispherical calabash, with a nailed goatskin. Before the invention of nails, palm tree thorns or wood pegs were used as nails. The three strings, which are attached to a long neck, today are nylon fishing line. Before, they were made of palm tree roots (Jola language: ). The neck is a bamboo stick (Mandinka language: ) that passes through the calabash to the other side. A hole is made in the sound box to allow the sound to escape. The bridge of the ekonting is not fixed to its skin as many lutes are. It is free, and can be moved back and forth on the skin of the sound box and it is always held in position by the pressure of the strings when it is in playing position.
Galire
The galire is a one-string instrument of the Jola of Thionck-Essyl, with its strings stretched across a single 1 meter curve made of fine mangrove wood. At first sight, it looks like a hunter's bow. It's played with one hand holding a flexible fine string (made of palm leaves) beating on the arc's string, while the other hand holds one end of the arc and adjusts the tune with the thumb. The other end of the arc rests in the mouth of the player, who sings. The vibration from the player's song on the string of the arc and the beating with the fine flexible string leads to the pleasant and characteristic sound of the galire.
The exile of young people to cities has led to the stark decline in usage of this traditional instrument among the Jola people of Casamance and the Gambia.
Other musical instruments
Below is a list of few Jola instruments. Note: The Jola language of Thionck Essyl is used to name them. Their names may differ somewhat in other
villages'
languages.
* Bakiti: like two maracas without the
handle attached with one
cord
*
Bougarabou
A bougarabou (alternative spelling “Boucarabou”) is a set of drums commonly used in West Africa. The drums are single headed (cow skin), with an elongated goblet or roughly conical shape, usually placed on a single stand, and most commonly pl ...
* Ediando: used by the women during initiation dances
* Efemme: a calebasse reversed in a container full of water. Used by woman to improvise for or replace a drum when it's
raining.
* Elere
* Emombi: used only during initiation - sacred and rarely seen - once each 20 to 30 years
* Etantang: used for Koumpo
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
and
wrestling festivities
* Ewang: used during male initiation
* Fouindoum:
drum used during initiation
* Gabilene: sound make with a
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various a ...
of an
animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...
History
Early history
These megaliths were built by the ancestors of the Serer people or of the Jola.
[Espie, Ian, "A thousand years of West African history: a handbook for teachers and students", Editors : J. F. Ade Ajayi, Ian Espie, Humanities Press (1972), p 134, ]
The Serer and Jola people believe in a common ancestry and have a
joking relationship with each other which they assign to their ancient shared cultural heritage. According to
the legend of Jambooñ and Againe (an ancient Serer and Jola legend
[According to both Serer and Jola tradition, they trace their descend to Jambooñ (also spelt : Jambonge, Jambon, etc.) and Agaire (variantes : Ougeney, Eugeny, Eugene, etc.). For the legend of Jambooñ and Agaire, see :
* Ndiaye, Fata, "LA SAGA DU PEUPLE SERERE ET L’HISTOIRE DU SINE", Ethiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine Nouvelle série volume 7, 2e semestre 199]
"Le SIIN avant les Gelwaar"
* Taal, Ebou Momar, "Senegambian Ethnic Groups : Common Origins and Cultural Affinities Factors and Forces of National Unity, Peace and Stability", n The Point, 201
thepoint.gm
(transitional error in Ebou Taal's work, line of descent is other way round)), two sisters boarded a
pirogue
A pirogue ( or ), also called a piragua or piraga, is any of various small boats, particularly dugouts and native canoes. The word is French and is derived from Spanish , which comes from the Carib '. Description
The term 'pirogue' does n ...
with their parties. Due to
act of nature, the pirogue broke into half at
the Point of Sangomar. Those who headed south became the ancestors of the Jola (descendants of Agaire) and those who headed north became the ancestors of the Serer people (descendants of Jambooñ).
[ Ndiaye, Fata, "LA SAGA DU PEUPLE SERERE ET L’HISTOIRE DU SINE", nEthiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine Nouvelle série volume 7, 2e semestre 199]
"Le SIIN avant les Gelwaar"
(Retrieved : 6 July 2012) The Point of Sangomar is one of the
sacred Serer sites.
Notable Jola people
* , architectural engineer in Senegal.
*
Alexander Mendy
*
Alioune Badara Faty
*
Agostinho Cá
*
Baciro Candé
Baciro Candé (born 18 March 1948 in Catió) is a Bissau-Guinean professional football player and manager.
Career
Candé played professional football in Portugal's Segunda Liga as a defender with Estrela da Amadora and Amora.
After he reti ...
*
Bakery Jatta
*
Batista Mendy
Batista Adélino Mendy (born 12 January 2000) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Angers.
Club career
Coming out of Nantes Academy, Mendy made his professional debut for FC Nantes on 13 September 2020.
He moved to A ...
*
Benjamin André
*
Charlie Davies
Charles Desmond Davies (born June 25, 1986) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward.
Davies set several soccer records at his high school, the Brooks School, before appearing for the Boston College Eagles and ...
*
Dayot Upamecano
Dayotchanculle Oswald Upamecano (born 27 October 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the France national team. Upamecano is known for his tackling and ball-playing ability.
...
*
Dion Lopy
Dion Lopy (born 2 February 2002) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Stade de Reims
Stade de Reims () is a French professional football club based in Reims. The club was formed in 1910 and plays in Ligue 1, ...
*
Domingas Togna
*
Ebou Adams
*
Edelino Ié
*
Emiliano Té
*
Elhadji Malick Tall
Elhadji Malick Tall (born 25 January 1995) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Ansar.
After playing for three seasons in Jordan, first for Al-Wehdat and then for Al-Ahli, he joined Lebanese side Ansar in ...
*
Ismail Jakobs
Ismail Jakobs (born 17 August 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a left back or left winger for Ligue 1 club Monaco. Born in Germany, he represents the Senegal football team, Senegal national team.
Club career 1.FC Köln
After star ...
*
Jules Francois Bocandé, footballer
*
Bruma
Bruma may refer to: People
* Bruma (footballer) (born 1994), Portuguese football winger
* Jeffrey Bruma (born 1991), Dutch football defender, brother of Marciano
* Marciano Bruma (born 1984), Dutch football defender, brother of Jeffrey
*Eddy Bruma ...
, footballer
*
Mamadu Candé
Muhammad "Mamadu" Youssuf Candé (born 29 August 1990) is a Guinea-Bissauan professional footballer who plays as a left back.
Club career
On 18 June 2021, he signed with Estrela da Amadora.
International career
He played at 2019 Africa Cup o ...
*
Mesca
*
John Carew
John Alieu Carew (born 5 September 1979) is a Norwegian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was capped 91 times, scoring 24 goals for the Norway national team.
As of 2023, he has been hired until the end of 2024 at Nor ...
, footballer
*
Joseph Lopy
*
Maixent Coly, Bishop of Ziguinchor (1995–2010)
*
Ansu Fati
Anssumane "Ansu" Fati Vieira (born 31 October 2002) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team.
Fati was born in Guinea-Bissau but chose to represent the Spain national ...
*
Jacques Faty
Jacques Faty (born 25 February 1984) is a former professional footballer who played as a central defender. Born in France, he represented Senegal at international level.
Club career
Rennes
Born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Val-de-Marne, Faty w ...
*
Ricardo Faty
Ricardo William Faty (born 4 August 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Born in France, he represents the Senegal national team.
Career
Faty was born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France. His football career began with ...
*
Romain Gall
*
Arthur Gómez
Arthur Gómez (born 12 February 1984) is a Gambian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Club career
Born in Banjul, Gómez began his playing career at a non league team called London United F.C which is based in Serekunda L ...
*
Emmanuel Gómez
Emmanuel Gómez (born December 20, 1990 in Dippa Kunda) is a Gambian footballer. He formerly played Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.
Career
Professional
Gómez began his professional career with Samger of the Gambian Championnat National ...
*
Edgar Ié
*
Yahya Jammeh
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017, firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 19 ...
, President of
the Gambia (July 1994 to 2017)
*
Maudo Jarjué
*
Pa Modou Jagne
*
Mansa Suling Jatta, King of Kombo (Gambia)
*
Joshua King
*
Nuha Marong
*
Arial Mendy
*
Q-Tip (musician), rapper from the band A Tribe Called Quest
*
Augustin Sagna, Bishop of Ziguinchor (1966–1995)
*
Bacary Sagna
Bacary Sagna (born 14 February 1983) is a French former professional footballer who played as a right back and is mostly known for his time at Arsenal. He also played for the France national football team.
Sagna's former manager at Arsenal, A ...
, footballer
*
Robert Sagna, politician
*
Jill Scott, musician
*
Lang Tombong Tamba
Lang Tombong Tamba (born c. 1965) was the Chief of the Defense Staff of the Gambian Armed Forces until his arrest, detention and trial in an attempted coup.
Early life and education
A Jola, Tamba was born in Sintet, Foni Jarrol and probabl ...
, former army chief of staff of the Gambia
*
Sheck Wes
Khadimou Rassoul Cheikh Fall (born September 10, 1998), known professionally as Sheck Wes, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2017 song " Mo Bamba", which became popular in 2018.
Wes is jointly signed to Travis Scott's Cactus Ja ...
*
Opa Sanganté
*
Omar Gaye
*
Piqueti
Piqueti Djassi Brito Silva (born 12 February 1993), knowly simply as Piqueti, is a Bissau-Guinean professional footballer who plays for Saudi club Al-Shoulla FC and the Guinea-Bissau national team as a right winger.
Club career
Born in Bissau ...
*
Steve Ambri
*
Virgil Gomis
*
Wilson Manafá
Wilson Migueis Manafá Jancó (born 23 July 1994), known as Manafá, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger or a full-back.
After making his Primeira Liga debut for Portimonense at the age of 23 he transferred to Porto ...
*
Zidane Banjaqui
*
Oumar Niasse
El Hadji Baye Oumar Niasse (born 18 April 1990) is a Senegalese professional association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for EFL League One, League One club Morecambe F.C., Morecambe.
Niasse has played ...
See also
*
La Mulâtresse Solitude
La Mulâtresse Solitude (circa 1772 – 1802) was a historical figure and heroine in the fight against slavery on French Guadeloupe. She has been the subject of legends and a symbol of women's resistance in the struggle against slavery in the h ...
*
Musée de la Culture Diola
References
External links
Les DiolasLes jeunes Diola face à l'exode ruralDiolaAkonting, A West African Ancestor of the BanjoFolklore and Language materials collected in the 1960s among the Kujamaat Jóola (Diola Fogny)
{{Authority control
Casamance