the power of music!

I was browsing on you tube and i found some old music that my parents used to love and it brought back deep memories of joy
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senegalese dance! Sabar dance!

Senegalese dance is beautiful.Here is an American woman called Ashley Maher dancing sabar. she does it so well.I can't even dance like that!
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Akon!the Senegalese-American artist.

Alioune Thiam known as Akon is Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer.He is the founder of Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. He is well known for singing hooks and has over 155 guest appearances and 23 Billboard Hot 100 songs to his credit. He is the first artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

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The heroes of the world!(CNN HEROES)

CNN reveals the top ten heroes of the world.This was such a great event.We found people who have the passion to help the one's in need.i find it to be very beautiful and the deserve to be recognized and awarded.
below are the top ten heroes of the world and thair achievements. This event showed that human beings do care about each other and that their are people out there who are actively participating to the well-being of the human race.

Tad Agoglia, Houston, Texas
Agoglia's First Response Team provides immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters. In a little over a year, he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at more than 15 sites across the United States, free of charge.

Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia --
Moved by the lack of children's books and low literacy rates in his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads, bringing free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of Ethiopian children.

Carolyn LeCroy, Norfolk, Virginia --
After serving time in prison, LeCroy started The Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 messages from inmates to their children.

Anne Mahlum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania --
On her daily morning jogs, Mahlum used to run past homeless men. Today, she's helping to transform lives by running with them, and others as part of her "Back On My Feet" program.

Liz McCartney, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana --
McCartney moved to New Orleans to dedicate herself to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors move back into their homes. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families for free.

Phymean Noun, Toronto, Ontario --
Growing up in Cambodia, Noun struggled to complete high school. Today, she offers hundreds of Cambodian children who work in Phnom Penh's trash dump a way out -- through free schooling and job training.

David Puckett, Savannah, Georgia --
Puckett started Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics Missions -- PIPO -- to provide artificial limbs and braces and care to people in southeastern Mexico. Since November 2000 his mission has helped more than 420 people, free of charge.

Maria Ruiz, El Paso, Texas --
Several times a week, Ruiz crosses the border into Juarez, Mexico, to bring food, clothing and toys to hundreds of impoverished children and their families.

Marie Da Silva, Los Angeles, California --
Having lost 14 family members to AIDS, the Los Angeles nanny funds a school in her native Malawi -- where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease

Thanksgiving break!

Although it is not my culture; I just love thanksgiving turkey!
American families really celebrate thanksgiving and the food is delicious.One of my schoolmates invited me for thanksgiving.
I was suppose to go to New York this weekend for youssou Ndour's concert but my budget is so low that i decided to stay.
My friends mother is a great cook. i've spent thanksgiving with them before and it was great.
Thanksgiving actually reminds me of Tabaski in Senegal.
during the festivities of Tabaski we eat lamb, every family buys a sheep, kills it on the day of Tabaski and cooks it very fresh .

A warm weekend!

This weekend was a lot of fun.I spent the weekend with afriend of mine. We cooked and listened to senegalese music. The meal was a success , we cooked peanut butter sauce with fresh lamb meat and some rice . The atmosphere was totally African, we both wore traditional wraps, the music was loud, the sound of the drums reminded us the parties back home and the scent of the food invaded the apartment.
It was so cold this weekend that none of us wanted to step outside. We stayed warm and enjoyed each others comapany.

African fashion! an evolution

Fashion is wonderful in Africa , just like everything else, fashion has also evolved. Although the traditional outfits are modernised,the material used and the vivid colors that portray the ethnicity and the exoticness stay uncheangeable. I just love African clothes; i find them to be very elegant.
The materials are very rich and the western touch that most designers have added, make the outfits universal.
this is a fashion show by Oumou Sy; a fabulous senegalese designer.

Myriam Makeba!(4 March 1932 - 10 November 2008)

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Miriam Makeba has a long and dramatic career behind her, both as a singer and human rights campaigner. She was the first vocalist to put African music onto the international map in the 1960s.Miriam Makeba is African music's first and foremost world star. She is a pioneer who played her early songs and blended different styles long before anyone even began to talk about "world music". this great woman passed away on november 10th 2008.

A global contentment!

It is a must to evoke the nomination of Obama, a black man , as the fourty fourth president of the United States. This great man full of eloquence and charisma represents hope and change. The whole world acknowledges his achievements.
Who would have ever imagined that a country holding such memorable history of slavery , segragation, oppression and discrimination would accept a black man for president!

An inspiring women!

Maya Angelou is a writer and a strong women that i look up to. Her writings are wonderful and she is she represents a wealth of knowledge. I was watching one of her interviews last night; and my admiration for her increased so i felt the desire to post one of her poems.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand orFall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.I

'm a womanPhenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,That's me.

Men themselves have wonderedWhat they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touchMy inner mystery.

When I try to show them

They say they still can't see.

I say,It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed

.I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair

,the palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,That's me.

miss senegal!

this is the picture of miss Senegal 2008. she is twenty two. She represents West African beauty.

Le grand Bal! the annual grand bal

Earlier in this blog i mentioned the talented artist Youssou Ndour. Well now is the time to discover the greatness of this senegalese musician . On november 26 and 27 , In the midst of New York city he will be having the annual grand bal at the Nokia theathre in times square.

VIP tickest are 70 dollars and standing tickest are 50 dollars.

I must go remember he is one of my favorites. My friends and i are planning the adventure together , so i started saving because it is going to be rather costly!

A trip to Senegal!

this is a great agency if you are under a budget .It offers the cheapest airplane tickets to get to Dakar . I use them everytime i plan on going home.

I am so very excited , because i'll be spending christmas with my family.

It's been a good two years i haven't seen my mother and sister. i miss them so much . I never thought it would be so hard being away from home.

when i was

in the last years of high school i was excited and happy about leaving home. i was dreaming of my new life as a student , with all the freedom possible, having my own place and all.

My mom when she would get mad she would say , you'll understand once you start doing everything by yourself.

What i realized over the years is that my dear mother was so right. It 's hell being away from home , even if you have friends. they are not always there for you. But one thing is that it makes you a lot stronger and you understand life better, wheter it is relationships with your friends , or being a broke student all the time! lol!

A great writer , writes a great proverb!

In Africa, A grandfather that dies is a library that burns.

by Hampate Ba.

I love this proverb because it is so true. Grandfathers and grandmothers through their experiences acquire a lot of significant knowledge and become a wealth of knowledge. when a grandfather dies , what dissapears is a fixed memory of the past. The natural memory and the dialogue has an effect on how we receive the message . Today , the artificial memory(thecnology , computers) dominates, even the bookstore.

the soccer team! "Les lions"

This is a picture of the soccer team. The guys on this team are very popular in senegal . I am not a great fan of soccer but this group of talented men participated to the growth of my interest in soccer.

the Senegalese soccer team became popular during the 2002 world cup. they reached the quarter finals. I remember how excited everyone was back home. the whole nation was behind the team and everybody was proud.

The senegalese president! a political issue.

Abdoulaye Wade is the current president of Senegal. The citizens of Senegal had a lot of trust in this old eighty two year old man. We thought he would bring change. he ran for president four times beginning in 1978, before he was elected in 2000.
What irritates me is the fact that nothing has been ameliorated. things have become very expensive in Senegal and we are facing shortages in rice , water and bread; this has never hapenned in the history of Senegal.
This raises questions between "man "and "power". These political leaders are obviously not fighting for their people.
Critics claim that the Wade's presidency has been marked by corruption and constraints on freedom of the press and other civil liberties.He has also been criticized for excessive spending .
We need change!!!!!!!!!

Goree island! "LA MAISON DES ESCLAVES"(the house of slaves)

The island is popular with tourists, especially African-Americans because of the symbolic status it has assumed as a place where African slaves were shipped off to the Americas.

An old Dutch slave house on the island has been turned into a museum and offers a glimpse into the horrific conditions these slaves had to endure before they embarked on their journey. For three centuries, the Africans who were reduced to slavery and embarked from Gorée Island were shipped to America (mainly south Louisiana) and the West Indies. It is said that before embarking, the slaves were labeled with their masters’ names. On the ships, they were jam-packed into holds, living in inhuman conditions. Many died before they reached land.

Persecuted in Senegal find refugee in New York! (from the New York Times)

Mr. Mbaye, 24, is an entertainer from Dakar, Senegal, known for his dancing, singing and storytelling.
Though Senegal passed an antisodomy law in 1965 that forbids “an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex,” homosexuality has traditionally been quietly tolerated in Senegal, particularly among the creative class of musicians and artists .
In February, a Senegalese magazine published photographs of what was reported to be an underground gay marriage and said that Mr. Mbaye, who appeared in the photos and is gay himself, had organized the event.six months later, Mr. Mbaye said, he was harassed by the police, attacked by armed mobs, maligned in the national media and forced to live on the run across West Africa.
In July, the United States government gave him refugee status, one of the rare instances when such protection has been granted to a foreigner facing persecution based on sexual orientation.

Happy eid mubarak to all!(happy celebration to all, blessed festival )

It's the end of the ramadan , so we celebrated . My friends and I got together for the special occasion. We decided to cook a great feast. We had oven roasted lamb meat with potatoes and for dessert we had a senegalese pudding called "Thiakry". The gathering was fun and warm.

famous senegalese musician.

Dakar the capital of Senegal!

yes we do have buildings!

a nostalgia!

Africa my Africa
Africa my mother land
Land of milk and honey
land of natural beauty ...........

my little sister

I miss her a lot too!

the senegalese experience!( i miss home)

the food : this is a popular dish called thiebou dieune.

i am fasting today , it 's ramadan. this is a really a torture! lol

this is a picture where i am wearing a traditional outfit.