The Njuup tradition is a Serer style of

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

rooted in the Ndut initiation rite, which is a

rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of social status, status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisat ...

that young Serers must go through once in their lifetime as commanded in the

Serer religion The Serer religion, or ''a ƭat Roog'' ("the way of the Divine"), is the original religious beliefs, practices, and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in West Africa. The Serer religion believes in a universal supreme deity called Roog ...

. The Culture trip
"Youssou N'Dour: An Unlikely Politician"
(Retrieved : 28 June 2012)

History

Njuup songs are

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

in nature. For a large part of its history, Njuup was only used within the Ndut ritual. The history of Njuup comes from the older Ndut style of teachings. Young Serer boys in the ndut (nest) were required to create religious tunes during their rite of passage to take their minds off the transitional experience, build their aesthetic skills, and enhance their spirituality. The veneration of Serer Pangool influenced the songs of the Ndut, including Njuup. Gravrand, Henry
Le Ndut dans « L'héritage spirituel sereer : valuer traditionnelle d'hier, d'aujourd'hui et de demain »
n''Éthiopiques'' n° 31 Modern

Senegambia The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

n artists who sing the purest form of Njuup in the

Serer language Serer, often broken into differing regional dialects such as Serer-Sine and Serer saloum, is a language of the kingdoms of Sine and Saloum branch of Niger–Congo spoken by 1.2 million people in Senegal and 30,000 in the Gambia as of 2009. It ...

include Rémi Jegaan Dioh Ferlo
"Rémi Jegaan Dioh : Sur un air culturel et cultuel "
(Retrieved : 28 June 2012) and

Yandé Codou Sène Yandé Codou Sène (also ''Yande Codou Sene'') was a Senegalese singer from the Serer ethnic group. She was born in 1932 at Somb in the Sine-Saloum delta and died on July 15, 2010 at Gandiaye in Sénégal. She was the official griot of presid ...

. All Afric
"Sénégal: Commémoration du dixième anniversaire du décès de Senghor - Les héritiers de Yandé Codou Sène et de Julien Jouga assurent les partitions"
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Influence

Njuup is the

progenitor In genealogy, the progenitor (rarer: primogenitor; german: Stammvater or ''Ahnherr'') is the – sometimes legendary – founder of a family, line of descent, clan or tribe, noble house, or ethnic group.. Ebenda''Ahnherr:''"Stammvater eines ...

of Mbalax music. Mbalax music originated when prominent

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

ese artists, such

Youssou N'Dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

, began to incorporate Njuup into their works Unlike Njuup, which is religious, Mbalax is

party music ''Party Music'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group The Coup. It was originally released on 75 Ark on November 6, 2001. It was re-released on Epitaph Records in 2004. Album cover controversy The original cover of the album, crea ...

. All Mbalax artists are strongly influenced by the Njuup tradition. Senegalese artists who specialize in Mbalax include Mbaye Dieye Faye,

, and Thione Seck.

History

Influence

See also

References

Further reading