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Momodou
Denmark
11635 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Jan 2024 : 11:16:55
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Saturday 20th January 2024
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un
To God we belong and to Him we return.
The Camara Conta family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Demba Conta our beloved father, brother, uncle and husband who left us peacefully with the family gather around him in the city of Stockholm, Sweden.
He was not only a loving husband, a caring father, a devoted grandfather, a loyal friend to many but a Pan African who loved his country and Africa dearly.
He touched the lives of many through his kindness, generosity, humor, wisdom and melodies. We grief our fathers departure from this world but celebrate the legacy he leaves behind and we are grateful to Allah for blessing us with a father like Demba and the time we got to spend with him.
We would like to thank everyone who has reached out to us with their condolences, prayers, and support during this difficult time. We are truly grateful for your kindness and compassion. Your words and gestures have comforted us and helped us cope with our loss. We hope you will join us in celebrating his life and honoring his memory.
With love and gratitude,
The Camara Conta Family.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11635 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2024 : 11:49:07
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Dear Friends,
It is with heavy heart and thankfulness to Allah that we announce the arrival of the body of our beloved father on Wednesday, January 31st. Following the arrival, our family will escort him to our ancestral village of Yonna, CRR, for burial after the Dhuhr prayers.
Your prayers during this challenging time would be deeply appreciated as we bid farewell to our dear father, brother, uncle and husband.
Sincerely,
The Camara Conta Family |
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Momodou
Denmark
11635 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2024 : 11:51:27
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Demba Conta Ye La
If you speak to anyone who knows Demba Conta, you will be told that he was a man who not only followed his heart but that he was also a man who dared to be different. He was a man who insisted on detouring from the well-traversed path of his contemporaries and pave his own path. A path littered with challenges that he insisted on tackling his own way. As a man who never sat in a “classroom” in The Gambia, as a man from the hinterland of The Gambia with little connections, Demba Conta’s resilience, unbreakable spirit and intelligence would set him on a path that landed him in Sweden where he would call home for most of his life.
I first heard Demba Conta before seeing him. The year was 1988. At the time, I was in high school living at the Area Council compound in Basse. I was on my way home from school and as I passed through Police Lines which was right next to where I lived, I heard Demba’s voice on a stereo. There was something hauntingly beautiful about the sound of his voice. It sounded familiar, yet I was unfamiliar with it. I was determined to go home and eat lunch but the voice drew me in. As if to comfort me. I couldn’t resist. I would end up hanging around the house I heard Demba’s voice and like a fiend, I kept coming back for more. The album was The United States of Africa. I remember a debate in my school based around the title of the album. I’d come to memorize every single song on that album. Still ranks in the top three of my most memorable music albums.
Years later, I would come to know more about Demba Conta, the person. I’d hear about his love for music beginning in the rice swamps of Yonna. Demba’s ancestors were not musicians, many frowned upon his singing. I’d hear about his days as a sailor traveling the world, singing to the waves of the vast oceans. I’d hear about his settling in Sweden. The many artists he worked with. The many Gambians he lodged. His Pan African dreams. I was looking forward to sitting with this giant of a man. But fate decided otherwise.
Thankfully, Demba Conta lives through his family. His music lives through his kin. May the ancestors embrace him with pride for all that he has done for his people. May the old men of Yonna welcome him among their ranks. May the Gambian Children he sang about remember and record his name in the history books. May Daarmanso forgive him and grant him Arjanna. Alama laa jangno sonohyala. My condolences to the Conta family and to the people of Yonna. A true son of the land has joined the ancestors.
By Mmajiki Saidy Barrow |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
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Obituary: Demba Kally Conta
