CULTURE
SENEGAL – “Ndèye”, an ode to the women of Jahman X-Press
Artist Jahman X-Press has released the music video for her new song “Ndèye”, An Ode to Women. “Ndèye” means “Mother” in French but it is also a feminine given name. The Senegalese singers denounce the violence against women, the mistreatment of women imprisoned in marriages that are sometimes dangerous or even fatal for them.
“Marriage, this sacred union which is the result of the love expressed by two beings, who promise each other a life together, until death separates them, should in no case be a means of repression which tears away life to a woman. Unfortunately, in some of our societies, more and more women are subjected to all kinds of violence in their households and do not dare to raise their voices for fear of the consequences. This minimization of their suffering destroys all strength or hope. It is time to join forces to raise awareness and support women by saying. “NO to VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN” has Jahman X-Press declared to explain the birth of this title “Ndèye”.
Who is Jahman X-Press?
Jahman X-Press whose real name is Abdoulahad Thioune, is a Senegalese artist, songwriter and performer and member of the X-Press band who hails from the town of Diourbel in Senegal, located about 150 kilometers east of Dakar. The artist surfs on electronic music and the vibrating sounds of the guitar which he knows how to play with perfection. Very quickly, he conquered the hearts of music lovers. The artist invests in a solo career. Several successful songs are included in his repertoire such as “Sekougn Bayante”, “Bamba Nieup”, “Damakoy def”, “Bamba la Joie”, “Def Si Code” or “Bamba la paix”.
The year 2020 is a consecration for the Senegalese singer with unprecedented sounds, he was ranked in the top 5 of the most popular Senegalese singers on YouTube by Billboard, the prestigious American magazine specializing in international charts which makes weekly rankings.
His musical rigor has facilitated his collaborations with many Senegalese artists, such as Wally Seck, the son of the late singer Thione Ballago Seck, and the committed activist rapper Fou Malade. He has also collaborated, among others, with the French rap group Sexion’Assaut, notably composed of the Franco-Congolese Maitre Gims and the Franco-Guinean Black M or the Franco-Senegalese Barack Adama.
Internet users’ reaction to the song “Ndèye”
Rain of reactions from Internet users as soon as the song is broadcast on streaming and music platforms. The song has already garnered more than 800,000 views on youtube alone.
“Emotions, happiness, sadness and pride are my feelings watching this clip a hundred times you have emptied the hearts of many women from all countries combined, it’s not just Senegalese women but all over the world. Jahman you fulfilled an incredible mission without knowing it … despite your young age you knew intelligently, educated, corrected and where to advise old people, father, mother and sister brother what more to say, if not, thank you on the part of all the women around the world who, by listening to this sound, will see their story told. Thank you my son for being the voice of those who suffer in silence ”wrote youtuber Feuz Galsen.
“0% vulgarity, 0% insult, 100% talent, 100% simplicity, JAHMAN has touched us again. Peace be upon him ”writes Seydou Diop
“Who cried like me watching the video really is too loud.” written Mamouch MB
“This song is like you wrote it for me my mother’s name was ndeye she died at the age of 25 from cancer leaving behind two children me and my sister I am 2 years old so I didn’t have time to get to know her. One day I discovered a private diary of her and understood a lot of things that I prefer to keep to myself, but thank you for revealing such a sensitive topic. ” also wrote Daddy Sy Official.
“I come across this sound and I am stunned. You sang for all the young or adult married women, not just for the Moms. And I don’t know how you really managed to understand what these married women are going through because I wonder is their husbands aware or maybe it is the man who is made not to understand the evil that his wife lives in silence because of what he is doing to her. But listening to you sing these words I told myself that any man who makes his wife suffer does it on purpose. And the Stepmother also who adds her touch while she knows what cleaning means, she is just cruel and wants revenge on her Stepdaughter. In short, get up and flee PLEASE even if you are going to suffer it will pass above all do not stay, because in a household where there is no consideration, no protection, no respect … It is not love that will hold this household because Love must be accompanied by these 3. Please flee before you die of suffering. The famous “Mougnal” (resists) I know this WORD I saw my mother… ”wrote another Internet user Being truthful.
“I left so as not to die in pain and not inflict this situation on my children. Courage to all the “Ndèye” in the houses ”writes Ndeye Penda Ndiaye.
Feminists reacted too
Apart from internet users, feminists have also reacted. If some appreciate the rigor, the precision of the scenes, the message conveyed in this song for battered, mistreated, abused, humiliated women, others deplored the fact that the person who embodies the role of the battered woman dies at the end. . For them, it is a sad end. They would have liked her to recover from this marriage and move on with her life.
The feminist Maïmouna Astou Yade gave her impressions of this song: “Jahman and the feminists! His new music video deserves to be criticized too. This new song certainly writes all this domestic violence against women, but we didn’t like the fact that “Ndèye” died at the end. “Ndèye” could also GO, say STOP because she was not at all obliged to experience this INJUSTICE. “
In short, as in most of his cult songs which from the outset drew a host of comments, appreciation and criticism, Jahman X-Press was no exception to the rule for his latest production “Ndèye”. He reopened the debate among Senegalese feminists which is not ready to close so soon.
Watch the clip here :
CINEMA
BURKINA FASO – Culture and tourism: The 4th edition of Tunnel honors the builders of the shadow
Koudougou, May 31, 2025 (AIB) – The 4th edition of Tunnel, a ceremony for distinguishing cultural and tourist actors in the Central-West region, was held in Koudougou on Saturday, noted the AIB on site.
This annual event, initiated by Adama Badiel, aims to create, according to him, a platform of visibility and support for artists and tourism professionals to allow them to establish themselves on national and international scenes.
The promoter Adama Badiel stressed the importance of this edition, placed under the sign of collaboration, recognition and collective construction. He recalled the fundamental objective of the Tunnel: “to highlight the cultural and tourist talents of the Center-West, these women and men who, often without spotlight or support, nourish our region with their passion, creativity, and determination.”
This year, the event paid a special tribute to its partners, whose support is deemed indispensable. Among the officials present were Jean Noël Bonkoungou, representing the minister of culture, patron of the ceremony, El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, president of the Patronat du Centre-Ouest, Franck Alain Kaboré, CEO of Cinéma Neerwaya, and Ali Bonkoungou, CEO of Salsabil Bâtiment, testifying to the commitment of the private and public sectors.
Despite a slight reduction to five categories in competition this year, due to a limited number of album releases and works meeting the criteria, Adama Badiel ensured that the “Golden Tunnel” category will evolve from next year to expand opportunities while maintaining the quality requirement.
The promoter also launched a call for goodwill because, “we need you to build a true ecosystem where art, heritage, tourism and youth can express themselves, thrive and inspire.” This heartfelt plea highlights the major challenge of the lack of resources to fully support the laureates and optimize their visibility.
Several emblematic figures of Burkinabe cinema, such as Eugène Bayala (Oyou), Sawadogo Alidou (head of the Village of Kikideni), and Rasmané Ouédraogo (Razo), have already been honored in previous editions.
This year, the winners on the artistic side include Mr. Baraka, Tasha, Yololo Junior, and KSB 80.
In the cultural and tourist field, personalities like El Hadj Inoussa Bagué, Franck Alain Kaboré, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Boubacar Berewoudougou (Hôtel Pousga), Catherine Zoma (ISMK), and Salfo Dermé were distinguished, in addition to tributes paid to ancient glories of Burkinabe music such as Pasteur Moussa Josué.
Adama Badiel concluded by stating that “the Tunnel is not a one-time event. It is a movement, an ambition, a bridge between what we are and what we can become. A strong message for the future of culture and tourism in the Center-West.
The boss’s representative, Jean Noël Bonkoungou, reassured the promoter of Tunnel of the support of the ministry.
Source: Information Agency of Burkina
Photo credit: Information Agency of Burkina
See on the platforms the legendary Senegalese hip-hop group Daara J Family. On May 30, 2025, the band returns with “COSAAN”, a committed single that resonates, with its morning mbalax melodies and gentle flows, as an essential reminder: never forget where you come from. The single has over 80,000 views and 900 comments on YouTube.
“Fan nga cosaanoo?” – Where are your roots?
This question in wolof, almost a supplication, serves as the thread to the new title of Daara J Family. NAACP literally means “origin” or “heritage”. With this single, the iconic duo formed by Faada Freddy and Ndongo D delivers a work that is at once poetic, political and deeply rooted in history, especially that of Senegal. It is also a call to African youth not to forget their origins. And above all to enhance its cultural heritage by walking with pride in the footsteps of the ancients.
Cosaan, between mbalax and rap
Formed in 1994, while still in high school, the members of Daara J Family never gave up their musical identity. Indeed, they have always mixed sharp words, spirituality and pan-African consciousness. In “COSAAN”, they revisit this tradition that is dear to them. In this song, there are traditional sounds (mbalax) and contemporary hip-hop textures, echoing their long-standing belief: rap was born in Africa, traveled, then came back. The refrain, translated into French, is unequivocal: “Le monde et ce qu’il contient / Si tu vas là et que tu l’obtiens / N’oublie pas, n’oublie pas / This is where your origin lies!” A direct appeal to African youth not to give in to cultural amnesia and to keep the memory of ancestors and African identity alive.
When history inhabits the word
Faada Freddy, with his recognizable soul voice among a thousand, hums: “We know where we come from/ What worries us is where we are going…” This lucid concern can only be tempered by an unwavering faith in the values of the elders. Ndongo D, adds in a quick flow: “If you forget yesterday, tomorrow you will be lost (…) You were born here, you come from here, you live here.” It is an anchor cry, a response to uprooting, a warning against forgetting.
Daara J Family: Making sense of the flow
From their first eponymous album in 1998 to Boomerang in 2003 — hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the century by The Observer — to Yaamatele in 2020, Daara J Family have always been able to combine the art of flow with that of meaning. Their commitment goes beyond words. They shared the stage with icons such as Public Enemy or Mos Def, and travelled through festivals from Africa to Europe, from WOMAD to Live 8.
COSAAN: a single dedicated to transmission
More than a return, COSAAN is a transmission. It is a manifesto. That of a knowledge, a duty to remember, a pride. At a time when markers are shifting, when crops are being diluted. In an era marked by migration, globalization and multiple influences, Daara J Family reminds us that identity is a foundation, not a burden. That heritage is not nostalgia, but a compass. And they offer a musical compass and identity with this single: Cosaan!
The monumental works depicting the battle of Little Big Horn, exhibited on the Pont des Arts in Paris in 1999, made the Senegalese artist famous. The installation has just joined the fortress in the Hautes-Alpes for at least ten years.
Muscled warriors meld, horse bumping. Sounds of the fury of battle are heard. Under the impressive curvilinear wooden frame of the old Rochambeau barracks, at the fort of Mont-Dauphin (Hautes-Alpes), is played the battle of Little Big Horn, opposing, in 1876, a coalition of Cheyennes, Sioux and Arapaho to the soldiers of General Custer’s regiment.
In thirty-five monumental sculptures, visible from 6 July, the Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow (1935-2016) celebrates the resounding victory of the fragile over the powerful. Deposited in this fortified village for a period of ten years renewable by his widow, the director Béatrice Soulé, this epic installation is well known to the Parisians who discovered it amazed, one day in March 1999, on the Pont des Arts.
The exhibition has remained in the annals with its record attendance – at least 3 million visitors in three months. «An unexpected success», recalls art critic Emmanuel Daydé, then deputy mayor for cultural affairs. For the former physiotherapist born in 1935 in Dakar, who later became an artist, it is consecration. But also, surprisingly, a swan song.
At the moment when Ousmane Sow gains international fame, the art world turns its back on him. Although he was the first African artist recognized in France, none of his successors, to whom he had paved the way, claimed it.
Mayor’s daughter supports her cause
It had all started well. In 1993, the Senegalese sculptor, who two years earlier had been on the cover of Revue noire – a quarterly magazine that revealed a number of African talents – was invited to the major five-year exhibition at Documenta in Kassel, Germany. In 1995, here he is at the Venice Biennale, which is to contemporary art what the Cannes Film Festival is to cinema. The autodidact dreams of an event in Paris.
By chance, he met Hélène Tiberi, daughter of the mayor at the time, Jean Tiberi. Who supports his cause at the City Hall. The location is easy: it will be the Pont des Arts, between the Louvre and the Academy of Fine Arts. It will take diplomatic treasures to convince these two institutions, who have not seen with a good eye the proximity of massive silhouettes imagined by an African artist.Archives «World»: Ousmane Sow questions Bordeaux and politicians
The neighbouring National School of Fine Arts, where figurative art was then taboo, is also pinching its nose. Money is missing. The Havas group had initially promised to contribute to the addition of 5 million francs (the equivalent of 1 million euros today), but its new CEO, Jean-Marie Messier, is sneaking out. Béatrice Soulé moves heaven and earth, finds sponsors and is personally indebted to the tune of 1 million francs. More here
Source: Le Monde
