His philosophy enveloped everything. He said, ‘Pray to God as if you were going to die tomorrow, because if you think you are going to die tomorrow, you will pray a lot today.’ Then he said, ‘Work as if you were never going to die.’ That was his approach. That is the beginning of Mouridism.
The life and teachings of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba (d. 1927), one of the greatest Sufi leaders in Senegalese history, have inspired songs by many of Senegal’s most celebrated musicians. Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, son of a Qadiri Sufi sheikh, was the leader of a pacifist spiritual struggle against French colonialism. He founded the Mouriddiya Sufi Order–along with the sacred city of Touba. Today, his memory is commemorated around the world–from Sufi-inspired songs in Senegal to parades in Harlem.
In the song above, Cheikh Lo–a legendary Senegalese musician who mixes mbalax, jazz, flamenco, salsa, Zairian/Congolese rhumba, and folk–praises Cheikh Amadou Bamba and his family. A follower of Cheikh Ibra Fall (a faithful companion to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba), Cheikh Lo beautifully weaves together the spirit, teachings, and social ethics of the Mourides in his music.
Have a clear mind. Be pure in your heart.
— Youssou N’Dour
Youssou N’Dour, another global music legend from Senegal and early emissary of the mbalax style (a blend of Senegalese griot percussion, Wolof lyrics, and Afro-Cuban influences), has also drawn inspiration for his music from the life of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba. D’Nour’s song “Mame Bamba”–from his album Wommat (The Guide)–recounts a miracle from Bamba’s life when he was enchained and forbidden by the French to pray on a ship transporting him to exile in Gabon. Determined to pray, he broke out of his chains and threw his prayer skin off the boat to pray on the surface of the water.
Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba also appears in the music of Baaba Maal, who performed earlier this week in the BBC video God Only Knows to raise money for the charity Children in Need. Baaba Maal was named an Oxfam’s Global Ambassador in 2012.
Orchestra Baobab, a Senegalese Afro-Cuban, Wolof, and Pachanga band, also has a song in their repertoire honoring Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba–but with a twist. The song “Bamba” riffs on the similarity in sound of the spiritual guide’s name and the dance craze made popular in the 1950s by American singer Ritchie Valens in his song “La Bamba.” The refrain and melody of “Bamba” echo Valen’s “La Bamba,” while the Sufi lyrics extol the virtues of this revered Sufi saint and the sacred city he established in Touba.
Happiness is there in Touba.
Peace is there in Touba.
Enlightenment is there in Touba.
Religion is there in Touba.
Touba increases enlightenment.
Let us go to Touba…
