Musa Ngum

Musa Ngum
Also known asMoussa Ngom
Musa Afia Ngum
Akasa[1]
Born1953
OriginFatoto, The Gambia
Died11 October 2015, Dakar, Senegal
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • Composer
Years activeLate 1960s–2015

Musa Ngum (or Musa Afia Ngum, also spelled as "Moussa Ngom"; born 1953[2] in Fatoto, Kantora District in the Upper River Division, The Gambia; died 11 October 2015 at the Dantec Hospital (Fr.: Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec), Dakar, Senegal[2]) was a singer and songwriter who was very popular in Senegal and Gambia. He was one of the pioneers of mbalax music, and "helped to define the mbalax style of popular music in the Senegambia" and "had a strong influence on Youssou N'Dour and other mbalax pioneers".[3] He was "something of a cult icon back in the Senegambia region, and a pioneer of the mbalax fusion style".[4] The mbalax, which originated from the Serer religious and ultra–conservative njuup music tradition sang during Ndut rites by circumcised boys (also referred to as "Kassak" songs) was the foundation of Ngum's music career. He mastered many of the njuup classics and built a name for himself while at the same time developing his voice.[5]

One of the reasons Youssou N'Dour considered him to be a major inspiration was because of his lyrics in "noble" Wolof as opposed to "street" Wolof.[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Foyaa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Voic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Janet Sturman (ed.), The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture, SAGE Publications, 2019, p. 976.
  4. ^ "Circulation Lampe Fall" Archived 2022-06-04 at the Wayback Machine, Rate Your Music. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Point Ndut kassack was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Guelewar Band of Banjul (The Gambia)" Archived 2020-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique. Retrieved December 16, 2019.