Senegal, Africa anyone?

Anyone that doesn't know what I do for a living....I am a social worker in an elementary school. My school has a very transient and vast population of different races and ethnicities. We have Bosnian, Mexican, Dominican, Brazilian, Columbian, Guatamalen (sp??), Greek, Japanese, students from Burma, and all over Africa. Most of my students and their families that come from Africa are here on refugee status. My newest family has come from Senegal, Africa. Anyone know anything special about this country? I'm doing some research on it now. The official language is French, most of the country is Muslim but that's about as far as I have gotten.

When we get a new family from a different country I like to try and learn as much as I can about that country and their heritage so I can try and make them feel welcome.

Share your Senegal stories if you've got them!

they have an abundance of international football [soccer] players playing in the English Premier League

Ahh very interesting! I have another student from Mali and it is unbelievable how far he can kick a soccer/football when the kids play at recess. It's amazing.

soccer/football is a big thing in that part of the world especially as South Africa host the World Cup next year,it maybe an idea to start learning your African footie players to impress the kids :-]

I just know what you know: It stays in Africa... sorry i cant help you with this,, i'm a suck at Geography... ;D    i'll search anything to you !!!

I have had the opportunity to communicate with a few Senegalese people over the last few years and I noted that most of them seem to have the last name Dioup or Diouf or something similar.

Check out the work of Youssou N'Dour, probably the country's most popular musician.

He's the voice you hear at the end of In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.  He also did a second duet with Peter entitled "Shaking The Tree".

I have four of his albums.  "The Lion" features the PG duet, "Nelson Mandela" has a very interesting (and great) cover of The Rubberband Man, "Eyes Open" is my favorite, and "The Guide (Wommat) is quite good as well.

He is also a humanitarian, very active in WOMAD and other non-profit groups.

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[b]Micrówave wrote: [/b]

Check out the work of Youssou N'Dour, probably the country's most popular musician.

He's the voice you hear at the end of In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.  He also did a second duet with Peter entitled "Shaking The Tree".

I have four of his albums.  "The Lion" features the PG duet, "Nelson Mandela" has a very interesting (and great) cover of The Rubberband Man, "Eyes Open" is my favorite, and "The Guide (Wommat) is quite good as well.

He is also a humanitarian, very active in WOMAD and other non-profit groups.[/QUOTE] he also did that duet with Neneh Cherry in the early 90's

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[b]ParisNair wrote: [/b]

I have had the opportunity to communicate with a few Senegalese people over the last few years and I noted that most of them seem to have the last name Dioup or Diouf or something similar.[/QUOTE] and they probably play for Portsmouth,Fulham,Sunderland,Chelsea or Bolton :-p

[QUOTE] [b]JoxerTheDeityPirate wrote: [/b] [QUOTE]   [b]Micrówave wrote: [/b] Check out the work of Youssou N'Dour, probably the country's most popular musician. He's the voice you hear at the end of In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.  He also did a second duet with Peter entitled "Shaking The Tree". I have four of his albums.  "The Lion" features the PG duet, "Nelson Mandela" has a very interesting (and great) cover of The Rubberband Man, "Eyes Open" is my favorite, and "The Guide (Wommat) is quite good as well. He is also a humanitarian, very active in WOMAD and other non-profit groups. [/QUOTE] he also did that duet with Neneh Cherry in the early 90's [/QUOTE] Here it is