This research gives an account of selected attributes of Senegalese culture. The research will cover culture, clothing, music, dance, movies, books, and food with a view toward locating major themes evident in patterns of change and consistency in these categories from the 1800s to the modern period.
Senegal's culture must be understood with reference to Islam, which reached the country in the late eighth century, and the establishment by French traders of a port at Saint-Louis, located at the mouth of the Senegal River, which gives onto the Atlantic Ocean, in 1659. That marked the origin of French colonialist activity in Africa, and Senegal remained the centerpiece of French administration until the country became independent in 1960 (Mbodj, 2000).
Islam became the principal locus of Senegalese culture; Islamic conquerors accommodated the mystical features of all of the local religions in ways that French colonialism did not. A venerated figure in Senegal is Sheikh Amadou Bamba (1853-1927), who followed Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, and who offered pacifist opposition to French colonialism. His teachings are referred to as Mouridism, or the Mouride Way (Cruise O'Brien, 1971). There are other so-called Islamic brotherhood besides the Mouride, but it is the dominant one (Gellar, 1982). The regime does not appear to be intolerant. As well, the country is quite stable compared to other African states in the region. One commentator says that teranga, which is an African name for "warmth, happiness and welcome," is a "main selling point" for tourism in Senegal (Labous, 2003, p. 36).
Senegal's culture is unique in that the Muslim religion of the people and the administrative apparatus of the country, which owed much to French (hence Catholic) culture, have managed to coexist throughout the colonial and postcolonial periods. However, Islam appears to have been adopted by more Senegalese because it was not linked in popular im...