Contemporary Dynamics of the Bou Kounta Qadiri Community
By Maria Grosz-Ngaté
El Hadji Cheikh Bou Kounta Thiam_02-01-2008
Date: January 2, 2008Format: Sound/mp3
El Hadj Cheikh Bou Kounta Thiam received his religious education under Cheikh Abdourahmane Kounta and created the first Kounta daaira in Dakar. He shares his extensive knowledge of the Bou Kounta community, gained in the course of his long membership. Addressing topics ranging from the life of Bou Kounta, the development of the tarikha over time, relations with the state, and the ethnic diversity of the Bou Kounta Path, he weaves in numerous stories of specific incidents and interactions. Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haidara. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye and Adrien Pouille.
20150617_AmouKounta
Date: June 17, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Mr. Amou Kounta, who has lived in Ndiassane all his life, was appointed by the khalif to succeed his elder brother as village chief. He describes his responsibilities and how his role intersects with those of the religious authorities. He concludes by summarizing changes that have taken place in Ndiassane, emphasizing the role that Khalif El Hadji Mame Bou Mamadou has played, needs that remain to be addressed, and his wishes for his family and for the community. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150617_BouMouhamedKounta_2
Date: June 17, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
El Hadj Mame Bou Mouhamed Kounta (Ballé) is a grandson of Bou Kounta who was born in Ndiassane but grew up in Saint-Louis and received his Koranic and secular education there, graduating with a diploma from the technical college. His father graduated from the “School of Hostages” in Saint-Louis, a school created by the French colonial administration and later renamed “School of Sons of Chiefs and Interpreters”. El Hadj describes how he was inducted into 18 months of military service and recounts the working life that followed and that took him to Mauritania and Saudi Arabia. He stresses the importance of work and highlights with pride his skills in woodworking. He also offers his thoughts on religion, on the tarikha, and on relations between the tarikha. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translation into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150618_AbdouMbaye
Date: June 18, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Mr. Abdou Mbaye is the griot (spokesperson) for the khalif, a role he inherited from his elder brother and, before him, his father and grandfather. His grandfather Bounama Mbaye was born in Ndankh and moved to Ndiassane after Cheikh Bou Kounta established himself there. Mr. Abdou Mbaye was able to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, thanks to the sponsorship of Khalif El Hadj Mame Bou Mamadou, and now bears the honorific El Hadji. El Hadji Mbaye explains the khalifate of Ndiassane and elaborates on changes in the religious, social, and material life of the community. In discussing the gàmmu and the ziara, he notes the presence of the media and of government representatives. Asked to comment on relations between the tarikha, El Hadji offers details on specific interactions and relationships. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150618_MinetouKounta
Date: June 18, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Madame Minetou Kounta, a daughter of Khalif Cheikh Bou Mouhamed Kounta (d. 2006), was born in the village of Thiariack, near Kaolack, but grew up in Ndiassane. She describes the activities of the NGO Tostan in Ndiassane and her own participation and role as treasurer. Madame Minetou Kounta concludes by discussing her involvement in Senegalese party politics after Tostan left Ndiassane, pointing out that she is applying what she learned about mobilizing people from working for Tostan. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150618_NogayeDieye
Date: June 18, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Madame Nogaye Dièye is a tailor who was president of TOSTAN’s project in Ndiassane. She explains the activities of the NGO and the ways in which they benefitted Ndiassane. Madame Dièye concludes by briefly speaking about a development project, initiated after the departure of TOSTAN, and of which she has also become the president. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150619_BayeSidyMoukhtarKounta
Date: June 19, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Baye Sidy Moukhtar Kounta grew up in Ndiassane. Apart from trips to other West African countries, he has spent his entire life in the community. Baye Sidy Moukhtar comments on some of the changes in the religious life of Ndiassane, the role of the media, and the participation of government representatives in religious events. He concludes by stressing the importance of the faith, personal conduct, and education. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150619_PapaAbdourahmane Kounta
Date: June 19, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Papa Abdou Rahmane Kounta traces his descent to Ndankh and to Ndiassane: his father was the son of one of Bou Kounta’s elder brothers in Ndankh and his mother was the daughter of Cheikh Al Bécaye, the first khalif of Ndiassane. He was born in Ndankh and received his religious education in Ndankh and in Mauritania. Mr. Kounta explains that he studied agriculture in Algeria and in Irak and gained competence in Arabic, French, and English in the process. He then discusses the development of Ndiassane, relations with the other Sufi Paths of Senegal, and the role of the state. He concludes with his thoughts on religious and secular education and his own involvement in furthering it. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150620_KhalifeElHadjMameBou
Date: June 20, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
Khalif El Hadji Mame Bou Mamadou Kounta was the oldest spiritual leader of a tarikha (Khalife Général) in Senegal before he passed away on November 4, 2018. In this interview he provides an overview of his life, touching on various personal relationships that impacted his life and on travels he undertook to other West African countries. He emphasizes the importance of work and his personal growth as a result of agriculture and travel. Interview conducted in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
20150621_CheikhBecayeCoulibaly
Date: June 21, 2015Format: Sound/mp3
El Hadj Bécaye Coulibaly offers an intimate account of his life and relationship with the Kounta family, providing considerable insight into the actions and interactions of the different khalifs. In a nearly seamless narrative he details how his father left the French Sudan (now Mali) to join the Bou Kounta community in Ndiassane to become a devoted follower. He remained after Bou Kounta’s death to serve his successor Khalif Bécaye Kounta, even when his family sought him to return home. El Hadj Bécaye eventually assumed his father’s role vis-à-vis the khalifs while also maintaining the relationship with his paternal family in the village of Dougabougou (Ségou region). Over time he became the khalifs’ intermediary with followers of Mande background and traveled to Mali regularly. In the latter part of the interview he speaks briefly about his Koranic school (daara), his dedication to agriculture, and some of the changes in religious rituals he has observed. Interview conducted in Wolof by Hady Sow. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
201511_SidiMouhamedKounta
Date: January 1, 2016Format: Sound/mp3
Sidy Mouhamed Kounta is the President of the Parents’ Association (Association des Parents d'Élèves, or APE) of Ndiassane. His paternal grandfather was Bécaye Kounta, the eldest son of Ndiassane founder Bou Kounta, who became the first khalif after his father's death. Mr. Kounta discusses his role as president of the association, the creation of the school, improvements over time, and the support he receives from his followers for the school. He also explains that he is one of the Kounta sons who has studied in Mauritania and that he lived in Casamance for seven years until his father asked him to return to Ndiassane. At the end of the interview he speaks briefly about the changes he has witnessed in Ndiassane over the course of his life. Interviewed in Wolof by Daouda Faye. Translated to French by Gana Ndiaye.
Cheikh Bou Diop, Ndiassane, 27-12-2007
Date: December 27, 2007Format: Sound/mp3
Cheikh Bou Diop, a devoted follower of Cheikh Bou Kounta, begins by tracing his ancestry to his great grandfather who relocated from Pir (Cayor region) in order to follow Bou Kounta. Known widely as a praise singer for the Kounta family at religious ceremonies, he explains that he inherited this vocation from his father and that his family is not of griot origin. He details his musical repertoire and the meaning that singing about Bou Kounta’s life, work, and genealogy holds for him. He also discusses the significance and role of the youth movement and comments on the use of the tabala musical instrument at religious events. Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haidara. Translated into French by Adrien Pouille, Moussa Thiao, and Gana Ndiaye.
Fatma Bouna Kounta 30-12-2007
Date: December 30, 2007Format: Sound/mp3
Madame Fatma Bouna Kounta speaks about her position in the Kounta family; her upbringing; her religious education; her membership in an association of Kounta family members; and the importance that Khalif Sidi Yakhaya has had for her. Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haidara. Translated into French by Adrien Pouille.
Interview Pape Malick Béye
Date: January 5, 2007Format: Sound/mp3
Mr. Pape Malick Béye directs one of the four Koranic schools in Ndiassane. Students are from Ndiassane, from nearby villages, and from neighboring countries. He notes that none of them beg. Mr. Béye discusses religious instruction in Ndiassane, his own background, and how he became a teacher. He also explains the difference between the Koranic schools of Ndiassane and a new religious institute established in 2000. Lastly, he offers his thoughts on the reasons for holding the major annual religious celebration (gàmmu) on the day when the Prophet was baptized rather than on his birthday, like the nearby Tidjani spiritual capital of Tivaouane. Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haïdara. Translated into French by Adrien Pouille. Arabic verified and translated by Moussa Thiao.
Ndankh_Bouna Kounta 30 July 2011
Date: July 30, 2011Format: Sound/mp3
Cheikh Bouna Mouhamed Kounta, the imam of Ndankh, and Cheikh Bécaye Kounta provide a detailed history and genealogy of the founding family of Ndankh, drawing on their extensive research. They cover the arrival of Cheikh Bounama, father of Ndiassane founder Cheikh Bou Kounta, in Senegal; his settlement in Ndankh following his religious education under Cheikh Sidy Makhtar Kounta in the southwestern Sahara desert; and his contribution to the expansion of the Qadiri Path. They also elaborate on religious education and on the history of relations between Ndankh and Ndiassane. Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haïdara. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye.
Sidi Lamine Thiam ET AL. 14-12-2007
Date: December 14, 2007Format: Sound/mp3
Beginning with his father in 1932, Cheikh Sidi Lamine Thiam’s family has represented the Kounta kaliphs in Dakar. He relates his family history and links with the Kounta family, with interventions by Babacar and Abdoulaye Kounta. The discussion also touches on the relations between Khalif Sidi Lamine and the secular authorities; the reputed wealth of Bou Kounta and the early caliphs; French military recruitment for the two world wars in the Bou Kounta community; and Cheikh Thiam’s daaira (religious association). Interview conducted in Wolof by Toba Diagne Haïdara. Translated into French by Gana Ndiaye and Adrien Pouille.
