The woodcraft comes from Casamance, South of Senegal and the city makes drums, statues and masks like no other, from a special type of teak wood. Welcome to the Senegal pavilion in the Global Village, a member of Tatweer, that beckons visitors with specially made, ethnic African hoods, tribal necklaces, leather wallets, bags, belts and animal carvings, the last mentioned by virtue of the fact that the country is rich in wildlife.
"The faade represents a typical African house and the hues used are green, yellow and red, our national colours. The typical ancient house in Senegal will have triangles woven into its basic design and all ancestral homes bear a similar look. These houses are called negouniekh in our native language and are compact homes, not opulent, not huge but with very modest albeit cozy dimensions," informs Khalifa Badadar Loum from the Senegal pavilion. An authentic West African home is often made of wood and bark of trees and the faade in the Global Village also has a lot of wood features in them.
A leisurely stroll through the Senegal pavilion will find the famous local Mbalax music filling the air with its sweet notes. The West African music has plenty of drums with guitars complementing the musical journey.
Mbalax is the pop music of West African nations with polyrhythmic percussion and dramatic vocal harmonies. Originally the music evolved from the traditional rhythms of the Mandinka people and over the years with a little bit of Cuban influence thrown in, the music incorporated electric guitars and other Western instruments and modernized itself in the 1970's.
Senegal that borders the North Atlantic Ocean has over 700 km of beautiful beaches, with high palms and rainforests, dry deserts and over 100 varieties of gorgeous tropical plants and flowers. It is a nation that offers a warm welcome to tourists with sun that shines almost all through the year, historic museums, natural parks and reserves, rich fauna and flora. Besides, the customs and habits of its inhabitants provide an interesting study for any tourist. The reefs and cays of the coastal are heaven for divers, holding out the promise of such extraordinary sightings of the underworld.
Senegal is a nation of rice and fish eaters. With large parts of the country having the ocean as border, there is plenty of fishing that is done offering fresh seafood. The official language is French. There are many local languages, the principal one being Wolof.
The national festival that is celebrated once every 2 years in the capital Dakar is called Foire International. The nation assumes the dimension of a miniature Global Village, welcoming countries from around the world to participate in a carnival like atmosphere. There is lot of gaiety during this period when the country gets ready to welcome the other national participants and tourism also thrives during the festival. In addition, the Tabaski or the feast of sacrifice and the Tamkarit - the Islamic New Year are other national festivals celebrated with gusto.
Senegal is a country that is full of contradictions and herein is its charm. Even as the nation is prone to contemporary modernity and influences from the outside world, it still remains deep rooted in its traditions that functions on two principles - the diom or honour and Teranga or its wonderful hospitality and respect for fellow human beings. And this is the flavour that the Senegal pavilion offers - amity coupled with charming old world courtesy.
The Global Village, a member of 'Tatweer', opened its gates to visitors at Dubailand, located on Emirates Road, on December 13, 2006 and runs until February 9, 2007 from 4pm until midnight everyday from Sunday until Wednesday, and from 4 pm until 1am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Mondays are dedicated to families.
For more information call Ahlan Dubai on 600545555 or alternatively log on to www.globalvillage.ae
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© Press Release 2007
