The Njuup tradition is a Serer people style of Music genre rooted in the Ndut initiation rite, which is a rite of passage that young Serers must go through once in their lifetime as commanded in the Serer religion.[ The Culture trip : "Youssou N'Dour: An Unlikely Politician" (Retrieved : 28 June 2012)]
History
Njuup songs are
Serer religion 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.
[ Henry Gravrand Le Ndut dans « L'héritage spirituel sereer : valuer traditionnelle d'hier, d'aujourd'hui et de demain » in Éthiopiques n° 31]
Modern artists who sing the purest form of Njuup in the Serer language include Rémi Jegaan Dioh[ Ferloo "Rémi Jegaan Dioh : Sur un air culturel et cultuel " (Retrieved : 28 June 2012)][ All Africa "Sénégal: Rémi Diégane Dioh présente samedi son CD dédié à Senghor"] and Yandé Codou Sène.[ All Africa "Sénégal: Commémoration du dixième anniversaire du décès de Senghor – Les héritiers de Yandé Codou Sène et de Julien Jouga assurent les partitions"]
Influence
Njuup is the
progenitor of
Mbalax music.
Mbalax music originated when prominent Senegalese artists, such Youssou N'Dour, began to incorporate Njuup into their works
Unlike Njuup, which is religious, Mbalax is party music. All Mbalax artists are strongly influenced by the Njuup tradition.
Senegalese artists who specialize in Mbalax include Mbaye Dieye Faye, Youssou N'Dour, and
Thione Seck.
See also
Further reading
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Salif Dione, "L’appel du Ndut ou l’initiation des garçons seereer", Dakar, Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire / Enda-Editions(2004)
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Henry Gravrand, "La civilisation sereer : Pangool", vol.2, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Sénégal, (1990),
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Faye, Louis Diène, "Mort et Naissance Le Monde Sereer", Les Nouvelles Edition Africaines (1983),
