By Dr. Elias Wirba
Introduction: an incident!
We had a Bui Family Union meeting in New Jersey some 5 or so years ago. I was still single at the time and had come to the meeting feeling very good about myself. As a single man I was always on the lookout for a potential life-long partner. That evening, I was particularly pleased when I realized that there were quite a few single women at the meeting. I walked into the room and immediately went round the room, greeting everybody with a handshake and doing my best to make an impression. After this, I sat down, and proceeded to comment on points raised in the previous meetings minutes, doing my best to smile whenever the opportunity arose.
When there are young women around and you know you are an eligible bachelor, you want to do anything that will tip the competition in your favor. About half an hour later, Shey Shemlon arrived at the meeting, together with a young man who, like me, went round the room and greeted those same young women as I had done before him. But this time, I noticed that there was visible excitement in the room I was intrigued and wanted to know what he did differently from me. I did not have long to wait. Within a few minutes everyone in the meeting was remarking that the young man, who I have come to know as Amosa Jumbam, was the son of the famous writer Kenjo wan-Jumbam.
I have recounted this incident just to underscore the fame that he enjoys among the elements of Bui Division and perhaps all of English-speaking Cameroon. I have since used Kenjo Jumbam's fame to help people understand where I come from and the ways of my people. So it was with a sense of great loss and sadness that I learned of the passing away of Kenjo Jumbam. In announcing his death to the Bui Family Union mailing list, I described him as an illustrious son of Nso and a celebrated writer.
A portrait of the man
I must admit, I have not read all the works of Kenjo wan-Jumbam but I am proud of the works he's produced. He was a famous writer, but he was also a humble person. He wrote great prose, but he was not boastful about what he wrote. I never met him in person, but those who did have only good things to say about him. Those who were his students talk about his dedication to teaching and his interest to see his students grow. His peers say he was a modest and private person, and often passed around unnoticed. Believe me, to have written such household novels, then pass around unnoticed in a society that excels in personal worship, you've got to have been modest!
He wrote about immorality in the church and about the fierce encounter between our local Banso ways and the Christian church from the west. In the process, he acted as a role model to many and as encouragement to the youth. He wrote at a time that there were many obstacles to publishing as an African but he did not make any excuses. By so doing, he demonstrated the value of hard work to our people.
Impact on Banso Culture and History
I was struck by most of what I read about Kenjo Wan Jumbam. In a well-written tribute to Kenjo Wan-Jumbam, Souliy Wan-Ntani describes him as a griot. Not of a literary background, I was wondering what griot means but thanks to Google, I now know that a "griot" is a West African poet, praise singer, and wandering musician, considered a repository of oral tradition. For me, what is striking about this griot description, is the emphasis on the oral tradition. It is, of course, true that Kenjo Jumbam's writings draw immensely from the storytelling tradition of Nso and all of West Africa but we are celebrating his life tonight because of what he wrote. He has written a lot on cultural values of the people of Nso and cultural displays from Nso.
In "Lukong and the Leopard" he describes the Mfu society and in the "White of God" he talks about the Shigwala. Those who grew up in Bui Division and those who have lived in the north west province would appreciate the displays and entertainment associated with these cultural dances. Witnessing a display by a masquerade is captivating and takes your breath away. But that is just an event for that given period in time. Putting such a display in print, as Kenjo Jumbam has done, captures it for eternity. Those of you from the literary professions have written at length about how Jumbam breaks the rules of narration, takes sides with his characters and puts together disjointed episodes in his works, but those of us who are familiar with the Nso culture or value the griot tradition of storytelling, see a writer who goes out of his way to tell the story in a way that Africans would appreciate. Because of his style, children born to Cameroonian parents in the diaspora can fathom the richness of their parents' culture and appreciate the transition they had to undergo to bring them up in the west.
Kenjo has done more than promote the culture of Nso. He has also written its history. The Jews have the Old Testament books of the Bible, now the Nso have the works of Kenjo Jumbam. Just like the Old Testament chronicles the various wars the Israelites had to fight and the encounters they had with other rival cultures, Kenjo Jumbam's works capture the History of Nso: their encounters with the colonial west and the contrast between western values and indigenous African values as in the White man of God and the White man of cattle. There are two ways of writing history, write just a history text and it will be useful to students of history but boring to the rest of the masses, or weave it into a good story and it finds readership among the masses. That is what Kenjo Jumbam did and we should be thankful to him for that.
Civilizations at war
The theme of The White man of God, is Kenjo Jumbam's depiction of the encounter between the native Banso customs and the western Christian religion. Kenjo Jumbam contrasts the tolerance of the local culture to the harshness of the Christian religion, the latter with an unforgiving God at its core.
Some critics have written that Kenjo Jumbam came down softer on the Christian missionaries when compared to the likes of Mongo Beti and Ferdinand Oyono. They attribute this to the fact that Kenjo Jumbam's works came after independence. This may indeed be true but I believe, there is more to it than meets the eye. Because of Kenjo Jumbam's magnanimity, he goes out of his way to highlight the good in the Christian religion as well as accentuate the negative. But make no mistake about it, Kenjo Jumbam subscribes to the school of thought that the spread of religion – be it Christianity or Islam – owes more to a battle for supremacy among civilizations than to a need to save souls. Look at it, Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all monotheistic religions -- it does not take inspired thinking to come to the conclusion that Allah, God and Yahweh are one and the same God. So, if it is about saving souls, Islam and Christianity should coexist peacefully all over the world, but that is not the case.
Have you ever noticed that at train stations and subway stations, those preachers with the bible in one hand and a microphone in the other, visibly come to life when they see an African approaching but make no effort at all when they see, say a Chinese or an Indian? Why is Christianity growing so fast in Africa and Latin America but not in India or China? Does it have something to do with the west's ability to exploit our welcoming cultures? If it was really about saving souls, what better opportunity to save more souls than to take Christianity to India and China?
It appears to me, that Kenjo Jumbam has done his bit to expose how the west has exploited our African virtues of hospitality and lack of calculation to impose cultural imperialism on Africans in the name of religion. And by speaking for the voiceless natives against the mighty Christian religion, he has fought a good fight. He could have taken the side of the strong church and that may have made it easier for him to publish his works but he did not choose what was easy but what was right. Now, those who attend the Catholic Church anywhere in Nso these days will testify to the impact that Kenjo Jumbam's writings have had in the church. The customs and artifacts that were derided by Big Father in "The Whiteman of God" are now prevalent in the church, thanks in no small part to Kenjo Jumbam's writings.
Conclusion
Kenjo Jumbam was a great writer. Even more than that, he was a good person and a role model to the young. I have highlighted the contribution that he made to eternalizing Nso culture by capturing it in his works. By so doing, he also helped to write Nso history. He took the side of the weak native Banso people in his depiction of the encounter between the Christian church and the native customs. Thanks to his writing, the Church -- especially the Catholic church, has made a u-turn in its attitude to tolerating local customs and artifacts in its worship. All these positive contributions to society are a great legacy of Kenjo Wan-Jumbam.
The Bui Family Union Convention
For those of you who have enjoyed the cultural dancing tonight or have read the works of Kenjo Jumbam, the Bui Family Union in the USA – BFU-USA – has an international Convention coming up during the last weekend of July, 2006, in Atlanta Georgia. We are going to be giving out Flyers advertising this event. It is an opportunity not to be missed. This convention will feature cultural dancing, exhibitions and displays, the likes of which have never been seen this side of the Atlantic. How will you feel when you see the Mfu that you have read in Jumbam's works display live – embarrassed or elated? [One thing you can be sure about is that the atmosphere will be so good, you'll have no choice but to relax and enjoy yourself.] Consider taking the preceding sentence out Words can be hopelessly inadequate at describing what you will see and enjoy!
See you in Hotlanta!
Paper presented at the CAMWREAD (Association of Cameroon Writers and Readers) Celebration of the Life and Works of Kenjo wan Jumbam at the Marriott Hotel in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA, on January 26, 2006.
Thanks Sir,
History will judge most of us not by what we have done but by what we blatantly refuse to do like your famour "GRIOT" Pa Jumban. He enlightened the Nso man through his writings and at the same time give us the merits of courage, honesty and bravery. He is a star that will never set.
Posted by: MAIMO GIL-BELDWIN RAWLS | March 14, 2006 at 11:26 AM
This is such a great website that is very educational as far as the Nso tradition is concerned. I would love to read an article on the Kikum in the Nso tradtion, How it originated, when it comes out and many other things about it. I love my culture very mcuh but unfortunately I don't have many sources of reference. i will also love to suggest that there a a monthly posting any Nso cultural value that anybody can choose to write about. Thank you
Posted by: Brendaline Burinyuy S | March 20, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Pa Kenjo Jumbam was a great man and others should do as much as possible to leave a lasting legacy behind.I have read alot about his works which are very educative.May his gentle soul rest in peace.
Posted by: faison willie | March 12, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Thank you for this article.
Posted by: Carroll | September 27, 2013 at 08:37 AM