Festivals form part of the attraction of The Gambia for the world’s travellers

‘He never forgot his roots, and fought for his freedom, and for those that followed after him. Although he was a slave, he was born a free man, and in spirit died a free person. His legend was brought to life by his great, great, great grandson Alex Haley.’ Such reads the introduction on the website of the Gambia Tourism Authority. Birthplace of Kunta Kinte, one of 98 slaves shipped to Maryland aboard the Lord Ligonier in 1767, and made famous in Alex Haley’s 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, The Gambia today represents a coming home for many tourists worldwide.

During his ten years of research for the novel, Haley visited the village of Juffure where Kunta Kinte grew up, near the former slave fortress of James Island.There, Haley recorded the stories of a tribal historian who told him about Kinte’s capture. Roots, which went on to be translated in 37 languages, won Haley a special Pulitzer prize in 1977, and sparked increasing public interest in genealogy.
This interest is celebrated in The Gambia with its Roots Home Coming Festival. Taking place in early June every second year (2008 is a festival year), the festival is a highly emotional and inspiring event that focuses on the spiritual, cultural, and historical orientation of the celebration of freedom. Taking place over the course of a week, it features excursions to a sacred pool, fairs with African artefacts and cloths, a musical bonanza of artists from across the continent, theatre and an initiation into the rites of passage and other longstanding African religious traditions.